s* 


THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  ILLINOIS 

LIBRARY 
973.74 

ilen 
1+ 


ILLINOIS 

NUMB  QttwgAi  SURVEY 


'77s  the  Star  Spangled  Banner! 

0,  long1  may  it  wave 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free 

And  the  home  of  the  brave! 


HISTORY 


OF" 


FIRST  ILLINOIS 


LIGHT     ARTILLERY 


VOLUNTEERS 


CHICAGO: 

CUSHING  PRINTING  COMPANY 
1899 


A  beautiful  Monumeqt,  in  memory  of  the  Battery's  dead,  was 
erected  iq  Rose  Hill  Cemetery  in  1874.  The  cost  with  the  stoqe 
curbing,  foundation  and  filling  was  $3,052,75,  $2,000  of  which^  was 
generously  donated  by  Capt.  Srr]ith  for  that  purpose  iq  his  will,  The 
balaqce  was  paid  by  subscriptions  from  members  aqd  frieqds,  A  mon- 
urrjeqt  corrjmittee  having  trje  matter  in  charge  consisted  of  the  follow- 
ing members:  C,  B.  Kimbell,  Olof  Benson,  J,  W.  Rumsey,  S,  W,  But- 
terfield  aqd  John  L,  Stockton,  Trje  Battery  Veteran  Associatioq  has  a 
FULL  PAID  UP  contract  with  tr]e  Rose  Hill  Cemetery  Company  for  the 
PERPETUAL  CARE  of  the  lot  and  Monument,  As  rrjany  of  the  menqbers 
as  can  do  so,  rqeet  every  year  on  Decoratioq  Day  at  the  Monument. 


BATTERY  "A,"  CHICAGO  LIGHT  ARTILLERY  MONUHENT, 
ROSE  HILL  CEMETERY,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


m  USURY 
If  l»t 


PREFACE. 


TO  RECORD  the  history  and  achievements  of  noted  military  organi- 
zations, is  a  desire  both  natural  and  commendable.    The  reasons  are 
too  various  and  obvious  to  the  thoughtful  mind  to  require  any  apol- 
ogy for  so  recording.     The  attempt  has  been  made  in  this  work  to  narrate, 
as  fully  as  practicable,  from  all  the  reliable  data  obtainable,  a  clear,  concise 
and  continuous  tale  of  the  work  of  our  cherished  Battery  in  doing  its  part 
in  assisting  to  put  down  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  from  1861  to  1865,  and 
to  give  brief  biographical  sketches  of  its  individual  members,  so  as  to  make 
it  both  useful  and  interesting  for  all  future  reference.  . 

This  history  I  would  dedicate  to  my  dear  comrades  of  Battery  "A," 
•who  stood  manfully  by  each  other  during  the  trying  times  of  war;  and 
having  as  steadfastly  continued  to  do  so  in  the  "  piping  times  of  peace," 
I  am  encouraged  in  this  effort  to  reproduce  the  main  and  important  inci- 
dents connected  with  the  Battery's  long  active  and  eventful  career.  It  is 
not  strange  that  old  comrades,  who  for  months  and  years,  shared  the  dan- 
gers and  privations  of  army  life,  in  camp,  on  the  march  and  battlefield; 
many  having  suffered  sickness  and  hunger,  in  hospitals  and  prison  pens, 
should  desire  to  keep  alive  the  memories  and  associations  of  those  trying 
times.  We  are  all  hastening  on  to  our  final  muster-out.  In  all  human 
probability  most  of  our  surviving  comrades  will  have  answered  the  last 
roll  call,  by  the  close  of  the  next  decade,  and  will  assemble  on  the  parade 
ground  of  eternity. 

A  conscious  feeling  that  I  have  done  what  was  within  my  feeble  power 
to  keep  alive  and  strengthen  the  fraternal  feelings  which  have  always  bound 
together  the  members  of  old  Battery  "A,"  and  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
the  living  and  our  noble  dead,  prompts  me  to  undertake,  before  too  late,  the 
task  of  recording  our  history. 


In  writing  the  history  of  the  Battery  it  is  not  the  design  of  the  writer 
to  furnish  a  history  of  the  "War  in  the  west,  or  of  the  Army  of  the  Tennes- 
see, to  which  the  Battery  belonged,  nor  will  any  attempt  at  doing  so  be 
made,  only  so  far  as  the  humble  part  taken  in  the  great  struggle  by  our 
gallant  Battery  is  connected  with  it.  In  fact,  the  history  of  the  Army  oJ 
the  Tennessee  is  but  a  history  of  our  Battery,  for  it  was  in  nearly  all  the 
great  battles  of  the  west,  and  the  records  of  the  war  are  full  of  its  achieve- 
ments, and  this  would  be  sufficient  for  the  public  at  large,  and  for  general 
history.  But  the  Battery  was  like  one  large  family,  and  all  its  members 
were  proud  of  and  loyal  to  it.  All  were  tried  in  the  balance  and  not  found 
wanting  in  fidelity  to  each  other,  in  patriotism  and  valor,  which  bound 
them  together  with  no  ordinary  ties.  The  object  of  this  history  is  to  con- 
dense and  perpetuate  the  achievements  of  the  Battery,  with  the  daily  details 
and  prominent  incidents,  which  were  of  so  much  interest  to  its  members, 
but  would  find  no  place  in  the  general  history  of  the  war,  and  make  it  of 
personal  value  to  each  individual  member  and  all  its  friends,  bringing  us 
more  closely  in  touch  with  one  another  during  the  few  remaining  years  of 
our  lives,  and  make  it  an  heirloom  worthy  of  being  handed  down  to  future 
generations  of  our  descendents. 

I  wish  to  return  my  sincere  thanks  to  the  many  comrades  and  friends 
who  have  contributed  in  various  ways  to  the  completeness  and  accuracy  of 
this  history.  Conscious  that  the  entirely  successful  accomplishment  ot 
this  task  is  more  than  could  reasonably  be  promised  or  expected,  I  ask  as 
mild  criticism  of  my  labor  as  possible,  trusting  that  my  efforts  may  be  ap- 
preciated in  the  same  fraternal  spirit  in  which  they  are  made. 

Fraternally, 

C.  B.  K1MBELL. 


HISTORY 


Battery  "A"  First  Illinois 

LIGHT  ARTILLERY  VOLUNTEERS 


CHAPTER  I. 

66  T  N  THE  beginning"  of  Chicago,  or  a  few  years  thereafter,  the  public- 
spirited  and  patriotic  citizens  of  that  embryo  city,  formed  several 
military  militia  companies,  among  them  the  Chicago  Light  Artil- 
lery, afterwards  Battery  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  and,  still  later,  Co. 
"A"  1st  Illinois  Artillery  Vols.,  as  it  was  officially  known  when  in  the  U.  S.. 
service  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  The  first  militia  organization  in 
the  city  was  a  company  of  mounted  volunteers,  which  was  mustered  into 
service  May  23,  1832,  and  was  mustered  out  June  23  of  the  same  year. 
Various  companies  afterward  sprung  up  and  had  their  day.  In  discussing 
the  military  situation  at  that  time,  the  Chicago  American  says  :  "The  for- 
mation of  a  dragoon  company  would  be  much  too  expensive,  for  each  mem- 
ber would  be  required  to  furnish  himself  with  a  good  horse.  An  artillery 
company  would  not  meet  our  wants,  it  being  an  arm  of  the  service  that  movea 
with  the  heaviness  of  its  own  eighteen  or  twenty-four  pounders,"  etc.  Thi& 
is  the  first  mention  we  find  regarding  artillery  in  the  history  of  Chicago. 
The  next  mention  is  in  the  Chicago  Democrat,  "Long  John"  Wentworth's 
paper,  of  Nov.  13,  1847,  which  says  :  "At  a  meeting  of  citizens  at  the 
office  of  R.  K.  ISwift  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  company  of  cavalry 
and  fiying  artillery,  Mr.  Rankin  was  chairman  and  C.  F.  Howe,  secretary. 
Committee  on  constitution,  Capt.  J.  B.  F.  Russell,  R.  K.  Swift,  John  R.  Orr,. 
James  Smith  and  C.  F.  Howe.  Committee  on  uniform,  R.  K.  Swift  and 
Dr.  Boardman."  N  ovember  23d  the  same  paper  says  :  "Captain  Swift'fc 


10  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

cavalry  company,  accompanied  by  a  piece  of  artillery,  and  a  band  of  music 
paraded  the  streets  yesterday.  They  made  a  fine  appearance,  and  created 
an  unusual  stir  in  the  city.  After  parading  the  streets  the  company  retired 
without  the  city  limits  and  continued  firing  some  time.  We  should  judge 
from  the  time  between  each  report  that  the  gun  was  well  handled."  Again, 
a  later  issue,  in  the  same  month,  says  :  "The  cavalry  and  flying  artillery 
will  meet  to-day  at  the  old  garrison  ground.  "We  hope  all  who  take  an  in- 
terest in  military  affairs  will  be  in  attendance.  The  artillery  will  be  es- 
corted by  a  band  of  music  outside  the  city  limits,  where  there  will  be  some 
practice  in  gunnery." 

For  a  long  season  after  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  peace  ensued, 
and  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861,  the  military  companies 
were  not  called  out  for  any  work  more  serious  than  to  quell  some  local  dis- 
turbances, notably  the  famous  "lager  beer  riot,"  or  to  add  to  the  gorgeous- 
ness  and  impressiveness  of  some  holiday  parade.  At  the  close  of  1860  all 
the  military  organizations  of  the  city,  even  those  who  had  maintained  but 
a  nominal  organization,  aroused  by  the  peril  threatening  the  country,  and 
assuming  fresh  vitality  from  the  spontaneous  wave  of  patriotism  that  was 
sweeping  over  the  country,  answered  to  its  call  with  solid  ranks,  filled  with 
the  best  young  blood  of  the  land,  and  marched  with  more  enthusiasm  to 
the  battlefield,  than  ever  in  the  quiet  days  of  peace  to  the  holiday  parade 
or  drill.  The  Chicago  Hussars  and  Light  Artillery  were  organized  as  be- 
fore stated,  in  November,  1847,  as  follows  :  Captain,  R.  K.  Swift;  1st 
Lieut,  James  Smith;  2d  Lieut,  Nelson  Buchanan;  3d  Lieut,  C.  F.  Howe; 
Cornet,  John  A.  Reichert  R.  K.  Swift  was  continued  as  captain  until 
May  5,  1854,  when  the  Chicago  Light  Artillery  was  organized  with  Capt, 
James  Smith;  1st  Lieut,  Ezra  Taylor;  2d  Lieut,  E.  W.  Hadley;  Commis- 
sary, H.  S.  Speers.  The  battery  records  now  in  existence,  show  that  the 
organization  was  a  small  but  healthy  and  active  one  between  1854  and  the 
spring  of  1861. 

On  the  llth  of  April,  1861,  Gen.  Beuregard,  commanding  the  rebel 
forces  at  Charleston,  demanded  the  surrender  of  Fort  Su niter.  The  demand 
not  being  complied  with,  fire  was  opened  upon  it  on  the  12th,  and  its  evac- 
uation followed  on  the  14th.  Immediately  after  the  firing  on  the  Fort  over 
which  floated  the  national  flag,  President  Lincoln  called  for  75,000  volun- 
teer troops  for  90  days.  Gen.  Grant,  in  his  memoirs,  says  :  "If  the  shot  at 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  13 

Ft.  Sumter  was  heard  around  the  world,  the  call  for  75,000  men  was  heard 
throughout  the  Northern  States.  There  was  not  a  State  in  the  North,  of 

o 

one  million  inhabitants,  that  would  not  have  furnished  the  entire  number." 
Chicago,  as  in  everything  else,  was  foremost  in  her  efforts  to  furnish  her 

O     "  *i 

quota  of  troops,  and  in  less  than  three  days,  more  men  had  offered  them- 
selves than  could  be  taken  in  the  city  militia  organizations,  which  were 
filled  to  their  maximum  number,  and  their  services  offered  immediately  to 
the  Governor,  gallant  old  "  Dick  "  Yates,  one  of  the  noblest  war  governors 
among  the  loyal  States.  Their  offer  was  accepted,  and  on  the  night  of 
Sunday,  April  21,  the  first  body  of  troops  in  the  war,  left  the  city  on  the 
Cairo  expedition. 

The  Battery's  first  appearance  in  public  was  at  the  grand  muster  by 
Gen.  R.  K.Swift  on  that  ever  memorable  Sunday  morning,  April  21st,  1861, 
on  the  streets  of  this  city.  The  infantry  consisted  of  two  companies  of  the 
old  Ellsworth  Zouaves,  the  Chicago  Turn-Gemeinde  company,  and  Captains 
Mihalotzky's  and  Harding's  companies.  After  the  muster  they  were  confined 
to  their  quarters  in  the  armory,  and  communication  with  the  outside  world 
cut  off.  Preparations  for  immediate  transportation  South  were  commenced 
and  the  final  departure  via  the  I.  C.  R.  R.  took  place  at  9  P.  M.  amid  the 
tears  and  shouts  of  the  thousands  who  thronged  the  lake  shore  to  bid  them 
farewell. 

President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops  found  the  Battery  organization 
a  ready  nucleus  for  forming  a  first-class  battery  on  very  short  notice.  It 
was  recruited  to  the  maximum  number  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours  after 
the  rolls  were  opened,  and  many  more  recruits  offered  themselves  than 
could  be  accepted.  Many  of  the  old  members  enrolled  themselves,  headed 
by  Capt.  James  Smith.  Among  them  were,  E.  P.  Tobey,  Edward  Mend- 
sen,  W.  L.  South  worth,  John  R.  Botsford,  and  many  others.  Among  its 
members  were  some  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  of  the  city.  Its 
outfit  was  a  full  field  battery  of  four  gun?,  with  caissons,  battery  wagon, 
forge,  harness,  etc.  It  was  stationed  in  the  old  armory  building  on  the 
corner  of  Adams  and  Franklin  streets.  Capt.  James  Smith  was  an  old  and 
efficient  artillery  officer,  then  a  member  of  a  prominent  lumber  firm.  The 
company  was  organized  under  the  militia  laws  of  the  State,  and  was  called 
into  service  by  Governor  Richard  Yates  in  response  to  the  first  call  of  Pres- 
ident Lincoln.  Nearly  all  its  members  were  young  men,  many  of  them 


14  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

born  or  raised  in  this  city  and  educated  in  her  schools,  and  they  were,  there- 
fore, fully  entitled  to  the  name  they  bore,  a  name  that  became  as  famous 
throughout  the  army  as  the  name  of  our  city  has  since  become  throughout 
the  world,  for  its  great  strides  in  commercial  and  industrial  progress. 

There  was  the  wildest  excitement  among  the  entire  populace  of  the 
city,  and  the  greatest  enthusiasm  among  the  soldier  boys,  who  were  eager  to- 
avenge  the  insult  offered  to  our  flag  at  Ft.  Sumter.  Little  did  they  dream 
that  it  would  be  many  months  before  they  would  have  the  dire  experience 
of  a  regular  battle,  and  instead  of  closing  out  the  rebellion  in  90  days,  that 
oyer  four  years  of  terrible  warfare  would  ensue  before  the  declaration  of 
peace.  It  was  well  for  them  perhaps  that  they  could  not  foresee  the  future. 

The  roster  of  Company  A,  Chicago  Light  Artillery  as  it  left  Chicago, 
Sunday  10:30  P.  M.,  April  21st,  1861,  via  111.  Cen.  R.  R.,  arriving  at  Cairo, 
111.,  Monday  11  A.  M.,  April  22nd,  is  as  follows  : 

Captain,  James  Smith;  Sr.  1st  Lieut.,  Chas.  M.  Willard;  Jr.  1st  Lieut., 
Francis  Morgan;  Sr.  2nd  Lieut.,  John  R.  Botsford;  Jr.  2nd  Lieut.,  Peter 
P.  Wood ;  1st  Sergt,  A.  R.  Abbott;  Quarter  Master  Sergt.,  Edgar  P.  Tobey ; 
Chiefs  of  Pieces,  (Sergeants),  Ed.  Mendsen,  Samuel  Beers,  Chas.  C.  Briggs, 
John  W.  Rumsey,  Thos.  E.  Taylor,  Horace  S.  Foote,  Corporals  (gunners) 
J.  L.  Thompson,  Thaddeus  S.  Clarkson,  Hoxie  L.  Hoffman,  Jacob  Cling- 
man,  Henry  H.  Handy,  "Win.  L.  Southworth.  Chiefs  of  Caissons  ,  Harry 
Morgan,  Arthur  M.  Kenzie,  George  E.  Adams,  Sam.  F.  Childs,  Adam  0. 
Hall,  Geo.  McCagg.  Commissary,  Horace  W.  Chase  ;  Assistant  Commis- 
sary, Chas.  W.  Poole.  Farrier,  James  Taylor. 

Privates  :  Abbott  L.  Adams,  Alex.  Anderson,  "W.  Ames,  M.  W.  Ax- 
tel,  Henry  Bennett,  Henry  E.  Brewster,  Wm.  H.  Bailey,  Peter  Bostwick, 
Jerome  P.  Briggs,  Geo.  M.  Brown,  J.  E.  Bissell,  Martin  A.  Bartleson,  Olof 
Benson,  Caleb  S.  Burdsal,  Thomas  Burton,  C.  A.  Bridges,  Ed.  Baggot, 
John  T.  Connell,  Horace  M.  Chapman,  Chauncey  R.  Crandall,  Fred  E. 
Church,  Nathan  T.  Cox,  Judson  R.  Crary,  Benjamin  L.  Cleaves,  George  E. 
Cooper,  Geo.  Childs,  Samuel  C.  Durkee,  John  D.  Dyer,  F.  S.  Dean,  Martin 
Dollard,  J.  Fred.  Dunlap,  W.  S.  Fonda,  Orrington  C.  Foster,  Wm.  Fnrness, 
Daniel  R.  Farnham.  J.  L.  Flanigan,  Samuel  M.  Fargo,  Allen  W.  Gray,  G. 
R.  Green,  Ferdinand  V.  Gindele,  Wm.  C.  Greene,  Otto  C.  Heimburger,  J. 
L.  Hazlett,  Edward  S.  Hills,  Harvey  Hart,  Geo.  T.  Hebard,  Jas.  Hennessy, 
H.  Hinch,  Henry  Hobart,  Ed.  D.  Howland,  John  D.  Holmes,  Thos.  Halpin, 


LIEUT.  JOHN  R.  BOTSFORD. 


16  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

John  R.  Irwin,  J.  E.  Johnson,  Lewis  F.  Jacobs,  Thomas  A.  Kearnes,  Theo- 
dore W.  Kennedy,  Geo.  King,  Harrison  Kellej,  Charles  B.  Kimbell,  Wm. 
Kirk,  Cornelius  Kendall,  George  Kennicott,  Wm.  H.  Lepperr,  Charles  A. 
Lamb,  N.  A.  Lull,  Tim.  W.  Lynch,  "Wm.  Low'e,  Cass.  F.  Maurer,  Augustin 
P.  Maddock,  John  Marder,  Geo.  A.  Mariner,  J.  L.  Morrison,  Lewis  B.  Mitch- 
ell, C.  C.  Nelson,  Jerry  D.  Powell,  Stephen  N.  Pease,  Wm.  M.  Pratt,  Thos. 
Powell,  Aurelius  V.  Pitts,  S.  Parsons,  John  M.  Peters,  E.  H.  Russell,  O. 
R.  Richardson,  E.  Richardson,  Harvey  B.  Risley,  J.  F.  Stackhouse,  Joseph 
Sproules,  John  Steele,  John  S  -haffer,  Frank  B.  Smith,  O.  F.  Shead,  W.  C. 
G.  L.  Stevenson,  James  Sergeant,  Edward  S.  Sherrill,  S.  J.  Sherwood,  Jno. 
Tack,  S.  H.  Tallmadge,  Wm.  B.  Vernon,  J.  T.  Yigers,  George  L.  Whittier, 
D.  R.  Wilson,  J.  A.  White,  Willard  I.  Wilcox,  F.  C.  Wilson,  E.  S.  Warner, 
J.  L.  Whittaker,  Wilber  J.  Wilcox,  Frederick  W.  Young. 

The  departure  from  home  and  the  long  dusty  ride  to  Cairo,  will  not 
soon  be  forgotten.  After  passing  Big  Muddy  bridge  in  safety,  where  many 
•of  us  expected  we  would  be  attacked  by  rebel  sympathizers,  we  reached 
Cairo  in  the  night  of  the  22d.  One  gun,  under  Lieut.  C.  M.  Willard,  with 
the  Ellsworth  Zouaves,  was  sent  back  to  Big  Muddy  bridge  and  left  there 
as  a  guard  in  charge  of  Sergeant  Ed.  Mendsen,  for  several  days.  The  next 
morning  the  most  of  us  beheld  for  the  first  time,  the  mighty  and  muddy 
Mississippi,  and  the  blue  Ohio,  with  the  shores  of  two  slave  States  on  the 
opposite  sides.  Our  reception  by  the  citizens  was  not  the  most  cordial, 
and  it  was  plainly  evident  that  they  would  have  been  better  pleased  if  the 
occupying  forces  had  come  from  the  opposite  direction.  However,  we  were 
there  first,  and  there  to  stay,  as  it  afterward  proved,  for  nearly  five  months. 
Many  of  our  soldier  boys,  after  the  close  of  the  war,  remained  or  returned 
to  various  points  throughout  the  South,  where  attractions  of  some  nature 
allured  them.  But  it  is  not  on  record  that  a  single  one  of  them  ever  located 
permanently  in  Cairo  alive.  The  croaking  frogs,  double-barreled,  long- 
billed  musquitoes,  the  deep  mud,  and  the  smell  of  rank  weeds  and  swamps 
around  it,  were  sufficient  to  dispel  any  thoughts  of  locating  there  perma- 
nently. The  many  names  applied  by  the  boys  to  Cairo,  would  do  to  men- 
tion in  the  early  part  of  the  war,  but  would  not  bear  repetition  in  a  history 
like  this. 

The  battery  was  assigned  the  duty  of  bringing  to  all  downward  bound 
•boats,  which  were  required  to  be  inspected  for  contraband  goods,  before 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  19 

going  down  the  river.  On  the  24th  of  April  the  steamer  "Baltic,"  in  pass- 
ing Cairo,  disregarded  the  blank  shot  summoning  her  to  land,  when  a  solid 
shot  was  fired  across  her  bow  which  had  the  desired  effect.  These  shots  fired 
by  "squad  one,"  under  command  of  Lieut.  J.  R.  Botsford,  were  the  first 
fired  from  a  field  piece  in  the  war  for  the  Union,  and  the  first  on  the  banks- 
of  the  mighty  river.  Their  echoes  were  heard  its  entire  length,  and  their 
reverberations  were  carried  down  its  currents,  figuratively  speaking,  even  to- 
the  city  of  New  Orleans,  bringing  forth  a  challenge  to  our  Battery  to  mortal 
combat,  from  the  famous  Washington  Light  Artillery  of  that  city.  The 
challenge  was  accepted,  but  not  until  the  terrible  battle  of  Shiloh  did  the 
trial  take  place,  which  was  decided  in  our  favor. 

The  second  act  was  the  capture  of  the  steamer  "C.  E.  Hillman,"  from 
St.  Louis,  loaded  to  the  guards  with  contraband  goods  of  war.  This  was 
accomplished  by  Capt.  James  Smith  in  person,  with  one  gun  and  a  small 
detachment  of  infantry,  on  the  steamer  "Swallow  !" 

The  "Hillman"  hugged  the  Missouri  shore  and  tried  to  escape,  but 
overtaken  by  Capt.  Smith,  she  ran  ashore,  and  the  officers  and  a  portion  of 
the  passengers  took  to  the  woods.  She  was  brought  over  to  Cairo  and 
found  to  have  on  board  about  $300,000.00  worth  of  war  material.  Several 
rebel  flags  were  taken  from  the  remaining  passengers  on  the  boat. 

After  about  a  week's  stay  at  Cairo,  during  which  time  large  reinforce- 
ments arrived,  we  were  on  the  following  Sunday  ordered  to  take  a  position 
about  two  miles  up  stream  on  the  Mississippi  river  bank.  This  position 
was  christened  "Camp  Smith,"  in  honor  of  our  commander,  and  was  occu- 
pied by  the  Battery  nearly  five  months.  The  arduous  guard  and  picket 
duty  imposed  upon  the  command,  and  the  labor  of  clearing  a  dense  forest  of 
about  ten  acres  for  drill  grounds,  with  almost  incessant  wet  weather  for  two 
months,  caused  quite  a  number  to  succumb  under  the  severe  strain,  and 
many  were  unwillingly  discharged  and  sent  home.  Many  of  our  young 
men  had  their  first  experience  in  hard  work  here,  as  many  a  lame  back  and 
blistered  hand,  could  testify. 

Arduous  camp  and  picket  duty,  relieved  only  by  the  regular  daily 
drills,  was  the  order  of  each  day  during  our  stay  at  Camp  Smith.  Being 
in  close  communication  with  "God's  Country,"  as  the  boys  reverently  spoke 
of  home,  we  fared  much  better,  with  the  addition  to  our  supplies  of  the 
good  things  received  almost  daily  from  the  loved  ones  at  home,  than  after 


20  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

we   proceeded   farther   south,   and   our   extra   supplies   were   cut   oft'. 

Under  the  instructions  of  our  efficient  officers,  the  Battery  soon  became 
so  thorough  in  drill  and  evolution,  that  when  it  appeared  on  parade  at  Cairo 
it  was  supposed  by  military  men,  unacquainted  with  the  facts,  to  be  a  reg- 
lar  battery,  notably  so  by  General  McClellan,  who  thought  it  wonderful  for 
volunteers  to  attain  such  proficiency  in  so  short  a  time. 

The  expectation  and  desire  to  be  called  to  the  east  were  great,  after 
this  inspection,  and  in  fact  we  were  under  orders  several  days,  but  happily 
for  us,  positive  orders  never  arrived.  Early  in  July  a  section  was  ordered 
by  Gen.  Fremont  to  St.  Louis,  from  whence  they  proceeded  along  the  North 
Missouri  road  to  St.  Charles  and  Mexico,  Mo.  After  several  weeks  of  hard 
service,  the  section  rejoined  the  Battery. 

A  majority  of  the  members  in  the  three  months  service,  who  did  not 
reinlist,  formed  an  association  with  a  number  of  prominent  and  patriotic 
friends  of  Chicago,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  Battery  with  many  of 
the  necessaries  arid  even  luxuries  of  which  they  were  deprived  by  army 
rations,  and  looking  after  the  sick  and  wounded  of  the  Battery.  Among 
the  most  active  in  this  service  were  Capt.  James  Smith,  E.  P.  Tobey,  W.  L. 
South  worth  and  John  L.  Stockton.  Many  a  sick  and  wounded  member  of  the 
Battery  had  cause  to  remember  them  with  great  gratitude.  Private  citizens 
threw  open  their  homes  to  receive  the  sick  and  wounded  on  their  arrival  in 
the  city,  until  they  could  be  sent  to  their  homes.  A  notable  instance  of  this 
kind  was  when  Mr.  S.  B.  Walker  took  four  wounded  members,  after  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  on  their  cots,  into  his  parlor  on  Michigan  Avenue,  and 
kept  them  several  days.  The  association  passed  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to 
Mr.  Walker  and  his  family,  which  consisted  of  his  wife  and  three  patriotic 
daughters,  for  ministering  to  the  care  of  their  comrades  in  so  hospitable  a 
manner.  The  eldest  daughter,  Chastina  B.  "Walker,  afterward  served  as 
volunteer  nurse  for  several  months  on  a  Mississippi  River  Hospital  Steam- 
er, and  any  soldier  from  Chicago,  especially  those  of  Battery  "A",  was  the 
object  of  her  special  care. 

The  Battery,  for  various  reasons,  did  not  muster  into  the  United  States 
three  months  service,  but  when  the  question  of  entering  for  the  three  years 
or  during  the  war,  came  up,  a  large  majority  decided  to  do  so,  and  85  mem- 
bers were  mustered  in  July  16,  1861,  as  Battery  "A"  First  Regiment  Illi- 
nois Light  Artillery.  The  members  mustered  in  received  a  ten  days'  fur- 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  23 

lough  to  visit  their  homes,  while  those  not  reinlisting  held  the  camp  until 
their  return. 

While  stationed  at  Cairo,  the  Battery  was  presented  with  a  beautiful 
silk  flag  by  Miss  Katie  Sturgis,  of  Chicago.  This  flag  was  carried  by  the 
battery  through  all  its  subsequent  campaigns.  It  was  destroyed  by  the  great 
fire  of  October  10,  1871,  in  the  rooms  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society, 
where  it  had  been  placed  for  safe  keeping. 


©" 


CHAPTER  II. 


the  16th  of  July,  1861,  at  Cairo,  Ills.,  eighty-seven  members  of  Com- 
pany "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  were  mustered  into  the  United  States 
service  by  Colonel  Pitcher,  as  Battery  "A"  First  Illinois  Light  Artillery 
Volunteers.  The  Battery  was  stationed  at  "Camp  Smith,"  about  two  miles 
above  Cairo,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  where  they  were  comfort- 
ably established  in  good  quarters,  which  they  had  been  nearly  three  months 
in  acquiring.  The  members  re-enlisting  were  given  a  ten  days'  furlough  to 
visit  their  homes  and  friends,  and  the  members  who  did  not  re-inlist  held 
the  camp  till  their  return.  July  18,  three  additional  members  were  mus- 
tered in,  and  on  July  28th,  seventy-two  recruits  were  added,  among  them 
being  several  of  the  three  months  men. 

Enlistments  to  fill  vacancies  caused  by  discharges,  promotions,  and 
deaths,  continued  till  the  close  of  the  war,  the  total  number  of  enlistments, 
(exclusive  of  the  consolidation  ol  Batteries  "A"  and  "B"  in  1864) 

were 212 

Those  enlisting  in  the  Battery  for  three  months  only 50 

Making  total  number  of  enlistments  during  the  war 262 

The  survivors  known  at  this  date  (1899)  are 115 

Leaving  unknown,  killed,  dead,  and  missing .        147 


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34 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY 


List  of  names  oi  members  assigned  from  Battery  UB,''  and  serving  in 
new. or  "Consolidated"  Battery  "A,"  which  existed  from  July  26,  1864,  to 
July  10,  1865  : 
Ashbrook,  Thomas  Hadlock,  Samuel. 


Anderson,  John  S. 
Briggs,  Wm.  D. 
Beidelman,  Alex.  H. 
Beck,  John. 
Brown,  John  A. 
Bradbury,  Wm.  H. 
Bower,  Michael. 
Burns,  George  B. 
Chappie,  Harmon  T. 
Cobb,  Henry  B. 
Chalmers,  John  R. 
Coe,  Schyler,  P. 
Clark,  Charles  H. 
Crampton,  Franklin. 
Crampton,  Nelson. 
Cameron,  Francis  D. 
Dealman,  Jacob. 
Dudley,  Henry  W. 
Dutch,  James  B. 
Ellis,  Thomas. 
Echert,  Charles  H. 
Frazer,  John  W. 
Finney,  Robert  N. 
Graham,  John. 
Garringer,  Isaac. 


Henry,  John. 
Hathaway  Valcourt  E. 
Hess,  George  J. 
Heartt,  Wm.  L. 
Hall,  Melville. 
Hesseiniuns,  Fred  E. 
Johnson,  Godfred. 
Johnson,  Peter  M. 
Jackson,  Wm.  F. 
Kingsbury,  John 
Lines,  Henry  F. 
Lynch,  Michael. 
Lake,  Louis  F. 
Marion,  Francis  N. 
McBride,  Ora. 
Morrison,  Peter. 
Newton,  Samuel  D. 
Porter,  James  W. 
Peasle,  Ira. 
Powell,  John  W. 
Palmer,  Andrew  J. 
Ross,  Miron  C. 
Reed,  Horace. 
Rising,  Henry  C. 
Rudd,  Henry. 


Roadhuizen,  Dirk  W. 
Sattler,  John  D. 
Simpson,  Walter. 
Stranberg,  John  F. 
Siller,  Charles  G. 
Scupham,  Wm.  C. 
Sauter,  Charles  J. 
Stickney,  Charles  W. 
Speight,  Henry. 
Smith,  Robert  C. 
Thomas,  John  E. 
Taylor,   Wm. 
Terry,  Edward 
Turner,  William. 
Upton,  Timothy,  Jr. 
Watts,  Isaac. 
Wentworth,  Samuel  F. 
Wilcox,  Albert. 
Wilcox,  Edward  P. 

DETAILED  FROM  OTHER 

COMMANDS. 

Beecham,  W.  E. 
McNnighr,  Thomas. 


It  is  stated  in  the  preface,  that  the  Battery  was  like  one  large  family. 
To  show  that  it  was  distinctively  a  family  Battery,  it  will  be  seen  by  a 
glance  at  the  rosters  there  were  among  its  members  three  brothers  each  of 
the  Kimbell  and  Wilcox  boys,  two  brothers  each  of  the  Adams,  Beach, 
Ohilcls,  Henry,  Kennedy,  Morgan,  Page,  Phillips  and  Rexford  boys,  the 
Burdicks,  father  and  son,  besides  several  cousins.  Many  were  boys  and 
schoolmates  together,  and  had  always  known  or  known  of  each  other.  Since 
the  war  the  members  have  scattered  into  nearly  every  State  of  the  Union, 
though  quite  a  large  proportion  of  them  remain  in  Chicago  and  vicinity. 

The  Battery  remained  in  Camp  Smith  until  the  early  part  of  September, 
practicing  daily  in  drilling,  with  frequent  target  shooting  on  the  river, 
guard  duties  and  parades,  initiating  the  raw  recruits,  as  the  new  members 
were  called,  into  the  arts  and  mysteries  of  war.  One  section  of  the  Battery 
was  stationed  for  a  few  weeks  at  Bird's  Point,  on  the  Missouri  shore  south 
of  Cairo.  Earth  works  were  thrown  up  on  the  point  \vhere  the  Ohio  and 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A."  35 

Mississippi  rivers  meet,  and  named  "Fort  Defiance."  Heavy  guns  were 
mounted  in  them,  commanding  both  rivers.  These  guns  were  manned  bj 
boys  detailed  from  the  Battery,  for  a  week  or  ten  days.  On  September  6 
Gen.  Grant  who  had  assumed  command  at  Cairo  two  days  before,  succeed- 
ing Gen.  B.  M.  Prentiss,  ordered  a  movement  on  Paducah,  Ky.,  forty-five 
miles  up  the  Ohio  river  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee.  The  Battery  broke 
up  camp  with  alacrity,  and  all  were  delighted  with  the  certainty  of  break- 
ing the  long  season  of  inactivity  which  had  began  to  grow  monotonous. 
Two  regiments  of  infantry  and  the  Battery  embarked  on  transports,  and 
before  midnight  we  started  up  the  river,  and  daylight  found  us  in  front  of 
Padncah.  It  seems  the  rebel  general  Jeff  Thompson  had  started  from  Col- 
umbus, Ky.,  with  a  force  of  about  10,000  with  the  intention  of  occupying 
and  fortifying  Paducah,  which  could  easily  have  been  done,  greatly  to  our 
disadvantage,  but  the  prompt  action  of  Gen.  Grant  saved  the  place  to  us. 
The  troops  were  stationed  to  guard  the  main  roads  leading  into  the  city 
and  several  wooden  gun  boats  were  left  to  guard  the  rivers.  The  Battery  was 
camped  on  the  main  street  leading  west  from  the  city,  where  we  remained 
till  February  1862.  Earth  works  wrere  thrown  up  and  after  a  few  days  we 
began  to  build  comfortable  quarters  for  ourselves  and  horses,  after  it 
became  apparent  that  we  were  likely  to  remain  for  some  length  of  time. 
The  day  we  arrived  at  Paducah  a  portion^of  the  battery  with  a  part  of  the 
9th  111.  Infantry,  marched  out  about  ten  miles  and  burned  a  railroad  bridge. 
The  Batter v  took  part  in  the  various  expeditions  from  Paducah  under  com- 
mand of  Generals  Lew  Wallace  and  C.  F.  Smith,  among  which  was  the 
feint  on  Columbus,  Ky.,  simultaneous  with  Gen.  Grant's  attack  on  Belmont. 
In  making  the  feint  on  Columbus,  the  expedition  marched  forty-five  miles 
in  twenty-four  hours,  which  for  green  troops  was  a  creditable  record. 

On  this  march,  we  lost  our  six  mule  team  by  running  off  a  bridge  in 
the  night.  They  were  left  behind  at  an  old  confederate's  place  and  were  all 
stolen  except  one  balky  old  mare  mule,  which  could  not  be  induced  to  move. 

The  only  bloodshed  on  this  expedition  was  when  comrade  Foster 
charged  on  a  flock  of  turkeys  in  a  plantation  yard,  and  lopped  off  an  old 
gobbler's  head  with  his  saber,  and  bore  him  off  in  triumph  in  spite  of  the 
protestations  of  the  female  owner. 

In  returning,  some  of  the  infantry  straggled  badly,  so  Gen.  Smith,  who 
was  a  regular  army  officer,  and  as  line  and  true  a  soldier  as  ever  lived, 


36  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  l-A" 

determined  to  give  ns  a  taste  of  marching  in  earnest,  and  took  nearly  the 
whole  command  and  accomplished  what  was  ever  afterward  famous  in  the 
history  of  Battery  "A"  as  the  "Calloway  March,"'  and  the  later  recruits  of 
the  Battery  were  often  regaled  writh  remarkable  tales  and  adventures  of  this 
inarch,  which  they  were  unfortunate  enough  not  to  be  connected  with. 

Another  notable  expedition  in  which  some  sixty  members  participated, 
being  mounted  as  cavalry,  was  the  raid  on  Mayfield,  Ky.,  October  22, 
for  the  purpose  of  capturing  a  rebel  recruiting  officer  and  breaking  up  the 
station.  We  reached  the  city  in  the  night  and  took  possession  at  daylight, 
but  the  bird  had  flown,  having  had  an  intimation  of  our  approach.  We 
secured  some  books  and  papers,  a  rebel  flag  and  some  old  small  arms  which 
were  left  behind.  We  started  back  for  Paducah  after  noon  and  arrived  be- 
fore midnight,  tired  and  sore  from  our  unaccustomed  saddle  exercise. 

It  was  fortunate  for  us  that  we  left  Mayfield  as  we  did,  as  in  less  than 
two  hours,  a  train  from  Columbus  brought  in  a  rebel  force  of  several  hun- 
dred, which  would  probably  have  captured  us,  or  wiped  ns  out  if  we  had 
stood  them  a  fight. 

On  Saturday,  October  5,  1861,  the  first  death  occurred  in  our  company. 
David  W.  Sawtell,  a  genial  and  universally  liked  member,  died  suddenly  in 
the  Paducah  Hospital  of  congestion  of  the  brain.  The  boys  raised  a  fund 
of  $70.00  and  procured  a  metallic  coffin,  in  which  the  body  was  enclosed 
and  forwarded  to  his  friends  at  home. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  we  received  all  of  our  new  harnesses  and  two 
new  howitzers,  and  were  now  a  full  six  gun  Battery. 

On  the  20th  of  November  the  second  death  in  the  company  occurred. 
Charles  G.  Sherwin,  one  of  the  youngest  members,  died  in  hospital  of 
typhoid  fever  and  homesickness.  His  body  was  also  sent  home  by  the  boys, 
in  a  metallic  casket. 

Paducah  wras  a  very  pretty  and  old  city,  and  contained  many  aristo- 
cratic, and  at  one  time,  wealthy  families.  The  male  portion  of  the  popula- 
tion was  largely  rebels,  and,  of  course,  the  sympathies  of  the  female  portion 
were  naturally  on  the  same  side.  The  Battery  boys  had  been  deprived  of 
ladies'  society  to  a  greatextent  during  our  five  months  stay  at  "Camp  Smith," 
and  many  of  them  used  their  best  endeavors  to  "do  the  agreeable,"  and  make 
the  acquaintance  of  some  of  the  ladies.  Their  musical  talent  was  utilized 
to  a  great  degree,  and  serenading  parties  were  out  nearly  every  evening, 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY    <A."  37 

doing  their  best  to  win  favor.  At  first  they  were  either  ignored  or  received 
very  coldly  ;  but,  after  a  while,  met  with  better  success,  and  when  Foster, 
Sam  Kennedy,  Charley  Smith,  Johnny  Peters,  and  the  Rexfords,  returned 
one  evening  from  a  serenade  at  the  residence  of  old  Col.  Wolfolk,  and  an- 
nounced that  the  ladies  had  invited  them  to  partake  of  cake  and  wine  dur- 
ing the  serenade,  they  were  looked  upon  as  heroes  who  had  scored  a  great 
victory,  as  all  former  efforts  to  secure  recognition  in  that  family  had  been 
unsuccessful.  This  family  had  previously  had  some  experience  with  the 
"Yankees,"  in  which  the  latter  came  out  ahead,  and  made  the  family  the 
special  mark  for  the  soldiers'  attention.  It  was  generally  known  that  a 
rebel  flag  had  been  flying  from  a  flagstaff  on  the  house  up  to  the  very  day 
our  troops  took  possession  of  the  city.  On  the  25th  of  November  some  of 
the  llth  Indiana  Infantry,  Gen.  Lew  Wallace's  regiment,  thought  the  place 
looked  lonesome  without  a  flag,  and  proposed  to  put  one  up.  Their  offer 
was  refused,  so  they  determined  to  put  one  up  without  consent.  Gen.  C. 
F.  Smith,  who  was  in  command  of  the  post,  heard  of  the  contemplated  ac- 
tion, and  forbid  its  being  done.  Fifty  of  the  Battery  boys  thought  this 
order  did  not  cover  the  ground  outside  of  the  house  ;  so  they  secured  a  pole 
and  flag,  and  went  one  evening  intending  to  set  the  pole  in  front  of  the 
house  and  raise  the  flag.  On  their  arrival  they  found  a  flag  had  been  raised 
and  was  "'floating  proudly  to  the  breeze  ;"  so,  father  action  was  unnecessary. 

A  number  of  the  boys,  who  were  printers,  utilized  an  abandoned  rebel 
printing  establishment  and  issued  several  numbers  of  a  Battery  paper, 
called  the  "Picket  Guard."  They  got  up  a  very  creditable  sheet,  and  it 
furnished  quite  a  little  amusement  and  diversion  for  camp  life.  A  few 
copies  of  the  paper  have  been  preserved  and  are  still  in  existence,  and  they 
are  very  interesting  relics  of  the  war. 

The  boys  rececived  their  first  regulation  uniforms  at  Padncah  Dec.  22, 
18(11.  Early  in  February  1862,  our  work  began  again  in  earnest.  We  were 
taken  up  the  Tennessee  river  by  steamer  and  landed  below  Fort  Heiman, 
which  place  with  Fort  Henry  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  was  captured 
by  our  gunboats  on  February  6.  Most  of  the  garrison  escaped  across  the 
country  to  Fort  Donelson,  so  this  was  a  bloodless  victory  for  us. 

When  we  took  possession  of  the  rebel  camp  which  had  just  been  evacu- 
ated about  two  hours  before,  we  found  several  of  their  camp  fires  burning 
and  hot  corn  bread  and  pea  coffee  cooking  on  some  of  them.  Their  tents 


38  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

had  not  been  disturbed,  and  as  the  boys  wtre  tired  and  hungry,  the  find  was 
a  great  treat,  and  very  acceptable  and  refreshing  to  them.  Feb.  11,  1862, 
2nd  Lieut.  P.  P.  Wood  assumed  command  of  the  Battery,  and  remained  in 
command  almost  continuously  until  its  muster  out  July  16, 1864,  Capt. 
Smith  having  previously  resigned  on  account  of  illness. 

"We  occupied  the  camp  at  Fort  Heiman  until  the  13th,  when  we  received 
orders  at  midnight  to  march  to  Fort  Donelson.  At  one  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  the  14th  we  left  Fort  Heiman,  and  did  not  get  across  the  river 
till  after  daylight,  having  to  wade  in  water  over  knee  deep  to  reach  the 
steamer.  After  landing  we  started  across  the  country,  escorted  by  a  single 
company  of  infantry,  Co.  "A"  32nd  Illinois.  We  reached  the  left  wing  of 
our  army  on  the  outskirts  of  Fort  Donelson  after  dark  of  the  same  day,  ii> 
a  heavy  snow  storm,  which  turned  into  a  rainy  sleet  during  the  night. 
The  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  and  we  had  orders  to  build  no  fires.  As  we 
were  wet,  tired  and  hungry,  most  of  us  managed  to  get  our  feet  near  some 
live  coals  on  our  side  of  some  large  trees  that  were  down,  and  after  a  bite 
of  hard  tack  and  bacon,  rolled  up  in  our  ponchos  under  "shebangs"  made  of 
evergreen  boughs,  and  had  a  sound  and  refreshing  sleep.  On  the  next 
morning,  the  15th,  we  were  ordered  at  daylight  to  start  for  the  right  in  a 
hurry,  where  heavy  firing  had  begun.  The  right  section  arrived  in  time  to 
have  a  lively  brush  with  the  enemy,  and  prevented  them  from  turning  the 
right  flank  of  our  line.  This  was  our  first  experience  under  fire.  The 
wounded  were  being  carried  by  us  to  the  rear  on  stretchers,  the  sight  of 
which  was  somewhat  trying  to  our  nerves,  but  not  a  man  flinched.  The  sec- 
tion fired  fifty-five  rounds  of  cannister  and  shrapnel,  most  of  the  time  using 
double  charges.  We  were  not  in  the  engagement  over  thirty  minutes,  but 
succeeded  in  repelling  the  last  decisive  charges  of  the  enemy  as  they  came 
pouring  out  of  the  fort,  trying  t  >  cut  their  way  through  and  escape.  Our 
only  casualty  was  one  man  wounded.  Moses  Hawks,  being  hit  on  the  arm 
with  a  spent  ball.  The  fort  surrendered  the  next  day,  Sunday  the  16th,  with 
about  21,000  prisoners,  under  Gen.  Simon  B.  Buckner.  This  surrender 
was  made  under  the  memorable  demand  of  General  Grant  to  General 
Bnckner  stating  that  "No  terms  except  an  unconditional  and  immediate 
surrender  can  be  accepted.  I  propose  to  move  immediately  upon  your 
works."  White  flags  were  flying  all  along  the  rebels'  fortifications,  and  our 
troops  were  inside  the  fort  and  mixing  up  and  conversing  with  their  cap- 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  39 

tives,  in  a  very  short  time.  Permission  was  given  the  rebels  to  go  outside 
and  gather  up  and  bury  their  dead,  which  was  done.  Many  of  our  boys 
secured  trophies  of  all  kinds,  which  were  carried  until  the  first  favorable 
opportunity  of  sending  home. 

On  Monday,  the  17th  we  marched  back  to  Ft.  Heiman,  where  we  again 
went  into  camp,  and  remained  until  March  6. 

On  the  3rd  of  March  we  received  a  vote  of  thanks,  passed  February 
17th  by  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade,  for  the  part  we  bore  in  the  actions  of 
Belmont  and  Donelson,  which  was  as  follows  : 

BOAKD  OF  TRADE  ROOMS, 
CHICAGO,  ILL.,  February  17,  1862. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board,  hold  on  change  this  day,  at  12  M.,  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions  were  unanimously  adoped  : 

IZvsolved,  That  this  Board  has  heard  with  pride  and  heartfelt  thanks 
the  glorious  news  of  the  success  of  our  troops  in  the  capture  of  the  rebel 
stronghold,  Fort  Donelson  ;  That  we  tender  the  thanks  of  this  Board,  also 
of  all  loyal  citizens  of  our  city,  to  the  commanding  officers  and  their  com- 
rades for  their  triumphant  effort  to  plant  the  stars  and  stripes  over  the 
same  ;  and  that  we  do  particularly  thank  our  gallant  Batteries,  Companies 
"A"  and  '"B,"  Chicago's  Light  Artilery,  for  their  daring  and  successful 
courage  displayed  on  the  fields  of  Belmont,  Frederickstown  and  Fort  Don- 
elson. 

Resolved,  That  the  President  of  this  Board  be  requested  to  forward 
these  resolutions  to  the  commanding  officers  of  the  expsdition  and  a  copy 
to  Lieut.  V.  P.  Wood  and  Capt.  Ezra  Taylor,  commanding  Chicago  Light 
Artillery  Companies,  "A"  and  -'B." 

SETH  CATLIN,  Sec'y.  STEPHEN  CLARY,  Pres. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  for  some  unknown  reason,  Battery  "A" 
never  received  its  proper  official  credit  for  the  part  it  bore  in  the  Ft.  Don- 
elson fight,  but  its  valuable  service  was  known  and  appreciated  by  all  the 
neighboring  commands.  Gen.  Livingston,  in  speaking  about  the  history 
of  the  great  battles  of  the  rebellion,  in  the  Plattsmouth,  (N"eb.)  Journal  of 
February  17,  1885,  says  : 

"Lieut.  Wood,  who  commanded  a  section  of  Battery  "A,"  Chicago, 
Illinois,  Light  Artillery  at  the  Donelson  fight,  never  received  the  meed  of 
praise  he  deserved.  At  the  right  time  he  threw  his  guns  into  action,  when 
Buckner  had  massed  his  troops  and  was  charging  the  right  of  our  line,  and 
his  guns  were  shotted  to  the  muzzle,  and  great  winrows  of  the  enemy  fell 
at  every  discharge  of  his  accurately  aimed  guns.  And  it  was  the  work  of 


40  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

that  Battery  and  the  terrible  volleys  sent  into  the  ranks  of  the  advancing 
foe  by  the  first  Nebraska  that  drove  back  the  enemy,  and  the  next  morning 
Buckner  surrendered.  Wood  was  the  hero  of  that  hour,  but  lie  never  was 
properly  remembered  for  his  heroism." 

On  the  6th  of  March,  we  broke  up  camp,  and,  bidding  good  bye  to  Ft. 
Heiman,  where  we  had  spent  two  very  comfortable  weeks,  we  started  on  the 
grand  advance  up  the  Tennessee. 

We  disembarked  at  Crump's  Landing,  and  took  part  in  an  expedition 
with  the  cavalry  in  an  attempt  to  destroy  the  south-western  railroad  con- 
nections with  Corinth. 

March  27th  we  moved  to  Pittsburg  Landing,  and  were  transferred 
from  Gen.  Lew  Wallace's  Division  to  Gen.  C.  F.  Smith's  Division,  2nd 
Brigade,  Gen.  McArthur.  We  were  sorry  to  part  with  our  old  comrades  of 
the  8th  Missouri,  and  llth  Indiana,  but  were  put  in  the  same  brigade  with 
the  9th  and  12th  Illinois,  which  quite  reconciled  us  to  the  change. 

We  encamped  nearly  a  mile  straight  west  from  the  landing,  where  we 
were  on  the  morning  of  the  memorable  April  6th. 

Sunday  morning,  April  6,  1862,  dawned  upon  us  clear,  warm  and 
bright.  The  trees  were  putting  forth  their  leaves,  peach  trees  and  other 
early  fruits,  were  in  full  b:oom,  and  all  nature  seemed  to  rejoice  in  putting 
on  spring  attire,  utterly  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  this  was  to  be  the  blood- 
iest day  in  the  history  of  our  nation.  Our  camp  was  up  and  astir  at  the 
usual  early  hour.  The  postillions  had  taken  the  horses  to  drink  in  a  creek 
near  by,  and  were  letting  them  nibble  at  the  new  grass  on  their  way  back 
to  camp.  The  sound  of  skirmish  firing  suddenly  was  heard  and  in  short 
order  the  crack  of  musketry  and  the  booming  of  artillery  followed.  We 
knew  this  meant  business,  and  our  horses  were  soon  harnessed,  the  ammu- 
nition chests  filled,  and  knapsacks  packed  ready  tu  move.  After  taking  our 
positions,  numbers  of  wounded  began  passing  our  camp,  reporting  their 
regiments  "all  cut  to  pieces."  We  ridiculed  them  and  shamed  some  of 
them  to  turning  back  to  the  front.  We  soon  had  orders  to  move  to  the 
front,  and  we  went  into  position  with  the  9th  and  12th  Illinois  on  our  left. 
A  few  shells  burst  around  us  as  we  neared  the  line,  causing  us  to  involun- 
tarily start  a  little,  and  then  to  laugh  at  each  other  for  it.  We  were  put  in 
position  as  a  reserve,  and  began  to  receive  a  severe  shelling  which  we  could 
not  return.  Two  horses  were  killed  under  their  riders,  and  brave,  hand- 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  41 

some  Sergeant  Jerry  Powell  had  his  right. arm  taken  off  by  a  shell  and  was 
injured  severely  in  the  ribs.  He  was  taken  to  the  hospital  where  he  died 
within  half  an  hour. 

After  remaining  in  reserve  about  a  half  an  hour,  Gen.  Ilurlburt  gave 
us  orders  to  support  him,  and  about  9  o'clock  A.  M.  we  were  placed  in  a 
new  position  on  the  left,  still  in  range  of  the  enemy's  shells,  which  burst 
around  us  without  effect.  Shot  fell  thick  and  fast  around  us  here  ;  but, 
being  inactive,  we  availed  ourselves  of  what  protection  we  could  get  behind 
the  trees.  We  were  soon  moved  foiward  into  position,  and  opened  fire  on 
the  rebel  battery  that  had  been  firing  at  us,  and,  after  about  fifteen  minutes 
of  lively  firing  with  solid  shot  and  shell,  we  silenced  it  completely,  compell- 
ing it  to  withdraw  to  another  position.  Seeing  troops  crossing  a  field  near 
by,  we  gave  them  a  few  shots,  and  a  short  time  after,  engaged  another  bat- 
tery. After  a  brisk  fight  we  managed  to  pile  up  this  battery,  when  we 
immediately  opened  on  another,  in  a  different  position.  It  took  us  some 
time  to  quiet  this  new  position,  but  it  was  finally  done,  and  we  moved  to 
our  original  position,  to  engage  the  enemy's  infantry,  they  having  advanced 
and  taken  position  on  the  ridge,  next  to  the  one  we  were  on.  Here  we 
fought  for  more  than  an  hour,  when  they  got  their  battery  up  to  drive  us 
out;  but  they  did  us  no  damage,  their  range  being  too  long  to  be  effective 
This  Battery,  we  afterward  learned,  was  the  famous  Washington  Artillery 
of  New  Orleans  mentioned  in  the  early  part  of  this  history. 

At  the  same  time,  a  part  of  our  Battery  was  having  a  duel  with  them, 
and  the  balance  were  keeping  back  their  infantry.  Our  boys  did  most  ex- 
cellent shooting,  hitting  the  mark  almost  every  time,  and  exploding  our 
shells  in  their  very  midst.  This  was  about  2  p.  M.  We  were  getting 
short  of  ammunition.  The  infantry  supporting  us  had  been  lying  in  the 
hollow,  now  charged  forward  with  a  yell.  They  delivered  one  volley  which 
was  returned  with  terrible  effect,  causing  them  to  fall  back.  This  gave  the 
rebels  courage,  and  they  made  a  charge  for  our  guns.  Things  looked  rather 
dubious,  but  we  continued  firing  as  long  as  prudence  allowed,  and  then 
limbered  up  and  fell  back  to  a  new  line  which  had  been  formed.  Here, 
after  a  short  fight,  we  were  obliged  a  second  time  to  fall  back.  In  this 
stand  we  suffered  severely.  Poor  Ed.  Russell  was  shot  through  with  a  six 
pound  ball  and  lived  but  a  short  time.  He  was  carried  to  the  rear  and  his 
last  words  were,  "tell  them  I  died  like  a  man  at  my  post." 


42  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A." 

Brave  Christian  man,  Daniel  R.  Farnham  was  shot  through  above  the 

o 

heart  and  killed;  James  L.  Flanigan,  a  merry  hearted  Irishman,  and  the 
intimate  friend  of  Ed.  Russell,  was  shot  through  the  mouth,  and  went  with 
his  chum  to  the  better  world. 

Our  last  stand  was  made  about  three  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  of  the 
one  just  occupied.  Here  we  opened  as  fierce  a  fire  as  we  could  ssnd,  but 
could  not  succeed  in  checking  the  charge  of  the  enemy.  Our  right  was  so> 
turned  that  their  firing  was  directly  in  our  rear,  and  we  took  shot  from 
both  front  and  flank.  Lieut.  Wood  had  urged  Gen.  Hurlburt  to  relieve  u& 
with  another  Battery,  while  we  replenished  our  empty  ammunition  boxes, 
but  it  was  too  late.  We  were  fighting  the  rebels'  whole  line  of  battle  on 
the  left,  and  taking  their  entire  fire.  This  part  of  the  battle  ground  was 
afterward  designated  as  the  "Hornet's  N est,"  by  which  it  is  still  known. 

It  was  now  evident  that  the  tide  of  battle  was  going  against  us,  al- 
though up  to  this  time  our  Battery  had  not  been  driven  to  the  rear  one 
inch.  Our  infantry  support  was  all  broken  up  into  squads  and  were  fight- 
ing desperately,  while  we  were  firing  solid  shots  and  a  few  shells,  having 
exhausted  our  cannister.  But  with  a  solid  line  opposed  to  us,  we  could 
not,  in  the  nature  of  things,  resist  much  longer,  and  a  little  after  4  o'clock 
the  enemy  had  succeeded  in  turning  our  left,  and  on  they  came  from  front 
and  left  flank,  in  solid  line  to  scoop  us  in.  Then  Lieut.  Wood's  voice  rang 
out  clear  and  strong,  "Limber  to  the  rear,"  "Get  your  guns  out  of  this." 
Then  there  was  a  scramble,  No.  1,  3,  4  and  6  guns  fell  back  at  once.  Not 
so  with  2  and  5.  Squad  5  had  but  three  cannoniers  and  gunner  Sherrill  leftr 
Dolan  and  Stiger  and  Crocker  having  gone  with  Flanigan  to  an  ambulance. 
Four  of  their  lu-rses,  including  Bailey's  Gray  Eagle,  were  badly  wounded. 
The  three  cannoniers  were  unable  to  run  up  the  gun  and  hook  it  on  A. 
C.  Hall,  alias  "Garibaldi,"  jumped  off  his  horse,  and  putting  his  shoulder  to 
the  wheel,  helped  to  run  it  up,  the  others  holding  up  and  pulling  on  the 
trail.  Just  at  this  time  Charley  Kimbell  came  hopping  on  one  leg  from 
squad  2  gun,  having  beeij  badly  wounded  in  the  other,  and  he  was  caught 
and  tossed  on  the  foot-board  of  the  limber.  "Garrie"  remounted  his  horse, 
and  just  as  the  gun  was  started,  he  was  hit  in  the  head  with  a  shot  and 
knocked  off. 

Little  Bailey,  the  lead  driver,  was  also  dismounted,  shot  through  the 
hip.  Jack  Redmond,  the  swing  driver,  prudently  dismounted  and  grabbed 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  45-. 

the  near  lead  horse  by  the  bit,  Foster,  the  near  swing  horse,  and  Colby,  the 
near  wheeler,  and  away  we  started  on  a  run,  the  rebels  less  than  a  hundred 
yards  from  us,  making  a  desperate  effort  to  capture  at  least  the  two  guns 
that  were  delayed  in  getting  away.  Poor  ''Garrie"  and  Bailey  were  left 
behind  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  rebels,  as  we  supposed,  but  Garrie  re- 
coverered  his  senses  just  as  they  were  about  to  gather  him  in,  and  picking 
himself  up,  skipped  away  and  escaped  to  the  landing.  At  the  same  time 
Stiger  and  Dolan  came  through  the  woods  hunting  for  the  Battery,  and 
found  Bailey  sitting  against  a  tree,  and  each  catching  him  by  the  arm,  es- 
caped safely  with  him  to  the  landing,  thus  saving  all  our  wounded  from 
being  captured. 

At  the  time  the  order  was  given,  "Limber  to  the  rear,"  squad  two  was 
in  worse  shape  than  squad  five.  The  off  wheel  horse  was  the  only  one  re- 
maining. The  squad,  having  disengaged  all  but  him,  attempted  to  haul  off 
the  gun,  which  they  could  easily  have  done  with  his  help,  but  he  obstinately 
refused  to  move.  Matters  were  growing  desperate.  The  rebels  were  so 
close  their  brass  buttons  could  plainly  be  seen.  Minnie  balls  were  rattling 
like  hail,  five  of  the  seven  men  at  the  gun  were  hit  within  five  minutes. 
Lieut.  Wood  ordered  several  men  from  the  other  guns  to  come  back  and 
help  them,  which  they  did  promptly. 

Just  as  they  reached  the  gun  a  minnie  ball  struck  the  horse  squarely 
in  the  root  of  the  tail,  and  it  effectually  performed  an  instantaneous  cure 
for  balking. 

With  Commissary  Chase  acting  as  nigh  wheel  horse,  the  gun  with  its 
wounded,  was  rushed  back  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  where  the  other  guns 
were  in  battery  on  a  small  hill  ready  to  cover  our  retreat,  which  they  did  in 
good  shape,  and  thus  was  averted  what  at  one  time  seemed  to  be  inevitable, 
the  losing  of  a  gun-squad  and  gun. 

The  rebels  were  just  as  determined  to  have  squad  two's  gun  as  we  were 
to  save  it,  and  did  not  cease  their  shower  after  shower  of  balls  upon  us  until 
we  were  safely  back  to  the  next  line  of  support.  Three  of  our  dead  were 
left  upon  the  field,  as  we  did  not  have  enough  sound  men  to  take  care  ot 
both  dead  and  wounded,  so,  of  course,  the  living  were  cared  for  in  prefer- 
ence. One  of  our  empty  caissons  from  which  four  out  of  six  horses  had 
been  shot,  became  stuck  in  crossing  a  little  brook,  and  was  abandoned.  It 
was  afterwards  recovered. 


44  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

At  about  live  o'clock  we  fell  back  to  the  landing,  and  going  down  to 
the  lower  landing,  we  refilled  our  ammunition  chests  with  shell  and  grape. 
Then  we  went  forward  to  the  small  hill  we  had  left  and  went  into  battery 
to  the  left  of  and  in  line  with  the  32-ponnders  that  Gen.  Webster  had 
planted  during  the  day. 

Here,  together  with  several  other  batteries,  and  about  15,000  infantry, 
who  had  been  fighting  all  day,  and  were  still  full  of  fight,  we  had  a  line  of 
battle  over  half  a  mile  long,  connecting  with  the  Tennessee  River  on  the 
south,  to  a  bayou  on  the  north,  as  solid  as  a  rock,  and  we  will  maintain  till 
the  crack  of  doom,  that  the  enemy  could  not  have  broken  it,  if  JBuell  had 
been  hundreds  of  miles  away. 

In  the  meantime,  our  boats  had  been  rushing  a  part  of  Buell's  force 
across  the  river,  so  that  when  the  attack  was  made,  our  side  had  about  five 
thousand  new  troops  in  line.  During  the  day,  also,  some  heavy  siege  guns 
were  landed  and  placed  in  position.  We  were  in  position  to  see  the  boat 
loads  of  his  troops  ferried  across,  and  cheer  after  cheer  went  up  as  they 
landed  and  filed  out  on  our  left. 

It  was  about  5:30  o'clock  when  the  enemy  made  their  last  attack  on 
our  lines,  which  was  easily  repulsed  with  the  aid  of  two  wooden  gunboats, 
which  were  anchored  abreast  of  a  ravine,  which  was  between  us  and  the 
rebels. 

Our  line  of  artillery  was  about  a  mile  of  front,  and,  in  this  cordon,  we 
could  not  find  room  to  operate,  so  we  had  to  stand,  take  our  chance  of  being 
shot,  and  do  nothing.  This  was  harder  than  fighting,  but  the  boys  took  it 
all  quietly,  patiently  waiting  the  result.  We  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  the 
skirmishers  opened,  then  a  gun,  another  and  another, — the  rebels  an- 
swering about  as  lively  as  ourselves.  Then  came  the  rebel  charge.  Our 
mile  of  front  was  a  living  sheet  of  fire,  more  than  a  hundred  guns  were 
belching  forth.  The  crash  of  musketry  rolled  from  one  end  of  the  line  to 
the  other.  The  rebels  faltered,  fell  by  the  hundred,  gave  back  a  little  ;  our 
newly  arrived  troops  made  a  dash,  turned  the  fall  back  into  a  retreat,  and 
night  drew  her  sable  mantle  over  the  weary  and  thankful  host. 

During  the  la&t  charge,  Gen.  Grant  and  his  staff  were  sitting  on  their 
horses  a  little  to  our  left  and  rear.  A  Captain  on  his  staff,  Kit  Carson,  was 
killed  within  ten  feet  of  the  General,  being  shot  in  the  head,  which  was 
completely  mashed.  The  General  moved  his  position  a  little  and  sat  chew- 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  .45 

ing  his  cigar  as  imperturbably  as  though  on  dress  parade.  Some  critics 
have  written  that  the  General  was  not  under  fire  on  this  day.  We  of  the 
Battery  know  better. 

Tims  ended  the  first  day's  fight.  The  Battery  was  engaged  over  eight 
hours,  firing  838  rounds  witli  a  loss  of  four  men  killed  outright,  twenty-six 
wounded,  several  mortally,  and  forty-eight  horses  killed  and  disabled,  with- 
out the  loss  of  a  gun,  or  man  taken  prisoner. 

On  account  of  the  death  of  Gen.  W.  H.  L.  Wallace  in  the  first  day's 
fight,  we  had  no  reported  position  that  day,  and  an  Iowa  Battery  received 
the  credit  that  belonged  to  us  in  the  fight  at  the  "Hornet's  Nest"  in  the  offi- 
cial account.  Geo.  JVI.  Brown,  of  squad  one,  fired  the  shot  from  a  12-pound 
howitzer  that  killed  Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnson  about  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  at  the  "Hornet's  Nest."  The  heads  ol  Gen.  Johnson's  mounted 
escort  could  be  seen  plainly  and  drew  our  fire.  A  rapid  commotion  among 
the  troops  after  the  third  shot  showed  that  it  had  been  effective,  and  it  was 
learned  afterward  that  Gen.  Johnson  was  killed  at  that  time  and  place. 

Shortly  after  dark  it  commenced  raining,  and  rained  almost  all  nio-ht. 
We  had  found  shelter  for  our  wounded,  and  they  were  as  comfortable  as 
men  could  be  under  the  circumstances,  but  the  poor  fighting  men  had  to 
take  it  as  it  came.  We  slept  on  our  arms  that  night,  the  sleep  of  the  tired, 
if  not  of  the  just.  Although  it  rained  hard  nearly  all  night,  we  cared  little 
for  it.  All  through  the  night  once  in  about  ten  minutes  flashes  lighted  up 
the  sky,  followed  by  the  boom  of  the  heavy  guns  of  the  gun  boats.  A 
dreary  night  dragged  by  slowly. 

The  next  morning  at  8  o'clock,  Maj.  Taylor  ordered  us  to  the  front, 
across  a  deep  ravine,  and  into  an  open  field.  We  went  into  battery  with 
four  guns,  two  being  left  in  camp  on  account  of  loss  of  men  and  horses  to 
handle  them. 

We  were  ordered  to  shell  the  heavy  timber,  across  a  ravine  in  which 
our  infantry  lay,  about  800  yards  away.  We  fired  for  half  an  hour  and 
ceased.  Our  infantry  then  charged  out  of  the  ravine  and  gained  a  o-ood 
foot-hold  in  the  timber.  Lieut.  Wood  was  laying  on  the  ground  so  sick  he- 
could  hardly  hold  up  his  head,  but  when  we  were  ordered  forward  into  line 
with  the  infantry,  he  sprang  into  his  saddle,  and  we  rushed  forward  on  a 
gallop  with  three  guns  to  the  assistance  of  the  infantry,  who  were  struo-. 
gling  to  held  the  advantage  they  had  already  gained. 


46  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A." 

Here,  for  the  first  time,  we  came  under  command  of  Gen.  W.  T.  Sher- 
man, and  we  make  the  following  quotation  from  his  "Memoirs,"  p.  239,  vol. 
I.:  ''Taylor  had  just  got  to  me  from  the  rear,  where  he  had  gone  for  ammu- 
nition and  brought  up  the  three  **uns>  which  1  ordered  into  position  to 
advance  by  hand-firing.  These  guns  belonged  to  Company  "A,"  Chicago 
Light  Artillery,  commanded  by  Lieut.  P.  P.  Wood,  and  did  most  excellent 
service.  Under  cover  of  their  tire  we  advanced  till  we  reached  the  point 
where  the  Corinth  Road  crosses  the  line  of  McClernand's  Camp." 

Hard  righting  continued  at  intervals  through  the  day,  the  rebels  mak- 
ing a  most  stubborn  resistance  and  losing  heavily  till  about  3  o'clock  p.  M. 
We  had  driven  them  out  of  our  farthest  encampment,  occupied  by  Sherman 
on  Sunday  morning.  We  went  into  battery  about  fifty  yards  to  the  right 
of  Shiloh  Church,  and  gave  the  flying  rebels  a  few  parting  shots.  This 
ended  our  part  of  the  great  fight.  We  did  not  lose  a  man  or  a  horse  on  this 
day,  and  found  from  our  feelings  there  was  a  vast  difference  between  whip- 
ping and  being  whipped. 

General  Sherman  rode  up  to  Lieut.  Wood  and  publicly  praised  him 
and  thanked  the  Battery  for  the  service  it  had  rendered. 

There  has  been  some  controversy  as  to  the  time  when  Gen.  Prentiss 
was  captured.  We  of  old  Battery  "A"  have  good  reasons  for  knowing  that 
it  was  not  before  5  o'clock  on  Sunday  p.  M. 

Capt.  Wood's  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh  is  as  follows  : 

HEADQUARTERS  COMPAQ'S"  "A,"  C.  L.  A., 
PITTSBURG  LANDING,  TENNESSEE,  April  9,  1862. 
THOMAS  J.  J^EWSHAM, 

Assistant  Adjutant  General : 

SIR  : — I  have  the  honor  of  reporting  to  you  the  part  taken  in  the  ac- 
tions of  the  6th  and  7th  inst,  by  Company  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 
After  the  commencement  of  the  firing  on  the  6th,  as  ordered,  I  reported 
with  command  to  Maj.  Cavender,  and  was  shortly  afterward  ordered  into  a 
position  to  support  the  Division  of  Gen.  Hurlburt  on  the  left.  We  opened 
fire  about  9  A.  M.,  and  was  successful  in  silencing  the  enemy's  batteries 
twice,  with  two  changes  of  position,  when  we  immediately  moved,  taking 
position  on  a  ridge  near  the  extreme  left,  and  opened  on  the  enemy's  in- 
fantry, posted  on  a  ridge  opposite,  about  500  yards  distant.  This  position 
we  held  for  over  an  hour,  fighting  both  infantry  and  artillery,  when  our 
support  was  retired,  and  we  were  forced  to  follow  to  avoid  being  flanked 
and  cut  off'.  Taking  position  again  300  yards  in  the  rear,  we  were  again, 


HIS  TORY  OF  BA  TTER  V  "A . "  47 

after  a  short  tight,  forced  back,  our  support  this  time  leaving  in  disorder. 
A  new  line  being  formed,  we  went  into  battery,  opened,  were  entirely  aban- 
doned by  our  new  support,  and  were  obliged,  reluctantly,  to  fall  back  on  the 
reserve,  taking  one  of  our  guns  off  with  but  one  horse  and  the  cannoniers. 
An  empty  caisson  was  left  for  want  of  horses  to  draw  it  off,  and  afterwards 
recovered. 

Retiring  inside  the  reserve,  I  inarched  the  Battery  to  the  Steamer 
''Rocket"  for  a  supply  of  ammunition,  tilled  the  boxes,  returned  to  the  line 
and  reported  tor  duty,  before  the  last  desperate  attack  on  our  position 
was  made,  but  was  not  again  ordered  into  service  on  that  day. 

We  were  engaged  during  the  day  seven  successive  hours,  firing  838 
rounds  of  ammunition,  with  a  loss  of  four  men  killed  and  twenty-six  wound- 
ed, and  a  loss  of  killed  and  disabled  horses  of  forty-eight. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th,  as  ordered,  I  reported  to  Gen.  Sherman, 
with  three  pieces,  all  I  had  men  to  serve ;  was  given  a  position  on  his  left; 
engaged  a  battery,  silenced  it ;  shelled  the  enemy's  line  of  battle  until  they 
gave  way;  advanced  with  our  troops,  opening  during  the  advance  four  times 
and  remained  in  the  engagement  until  the  enemy  broke  and  fled;  tired  dur- 
ing the  day  334  round  of  ammunition.  On  this  day  we  met  with  no  loss. 

To  you,  sir,  and  all  who  know  the  men,  few  words  of  mine  are  neces- 
sary in  praise  of  the  coolness  and  gallantry  of  Lieuts.  J.  W.  Rumsey,  Geo. 
McCagg  and  F.  W.  Young,  Staff  Sergeants  Briggs  and  Poole,  and  every 
non-commissioned  officer  and  man  in  the  command.  In  war,  he  is  blessed 
who  has  such  men  to  command. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  P.  P.  WOOD,  First  Lieut. 

Commanding  Company  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 

I  annex  hereto  a  list  of  casualties  and  losses.  Killed  ,  Sergeant  J.  D. 
Powell,  Corporal  E.  H.  Russell;  Privates,  D.  R.  Farnham,  John  L.  Flanigan. 
Dangerously  wounded,  Privates  Jas.  O.  Paddock,  E.  E.  Williams.  Seri- 
ously wounded,  Corporal  Charles  B.  Kimbell;  Privates,  C.  C.  Nelson, W.  G. 
Brown,  John  Schaffer,  A.  J.  Bailey,  O.  C.  Heimberger,  T.  W.  Lynch,  W.  C. 
Green.  Slightly  wounded,  Lieut.  Geo.  McCagg,  Corporals,  C.  R.  Crand^ll, 
Thomas  Burton,  F.  B.  Smith,  W.  J.  Wilcox;  Privates,  A.  V.  Pitts,  L.  F. 
Jacobs,  J.  F.  Crocker,  S.  C.  Durkee,  W.  I.  Wilcox,  M.  Dooling,  John  Farl, 
Moses  Hawks,  H.  H.  Pond,  G.  L.  Whittier,  A.  C.  Hall. 

On  the  9th  we  were  relieved  from  duty  and  allowed  to  return  to  Camp. 
The  rebels  had  retreated  in  disorder,  destroying  everything  which  could  im- 
pede our  progress  ;  the  road  for  miles,  toward  Corinth,  was  strewn  with 


48  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A." 

the  ruins  of  artillery,  tents,  stores  and  everything  pertaining  to  an  army. 
The  only  things  left  were  the  wounded,  and  they  numbered  by  the  thous- 
and. Their  loss  was  immense  and  ours  not  small;  five  thousand  men  will  not 
cover  our  losses,  and  theirs  must  have  been  a  half  more.  For  numbers  engaged, 
fierceness  and  losses,  it  will  exceed  any  fight  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  a  portion  of  our  wounded  were  placed  up- 
on a  hospital  steamer  and  taken  down  the  river  to  Mound  City,  Illinois,  and 
placed  in  hospital  there.  They  remained  here  nearly  two  weeks,  when  the 
high  water  of  the  Ohio  river  filled  the  lower  story  of  the  hospital  and  forced 
its  abandonment.  M.  1C  Kimbell  came  from  Chicago  with  the  wife  of 
"Win.  G.  Brown,  and  they  assisted  and  cared  for  the  boys  of  the  Batterj*, 
which,  in  addition  to  the  regular  hospital  nurses,  made  them  much  more 
comfortable  than  those  who  had  only  the  ordinary  care.  The  wounded  of 
the  Battery  here,  were  Wm.  G.  Brown,  C.  C.  Nelson,  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Wm. 
C.  Green,  O.  C.  Heimberger  and  A.  J.  Bailey.  These  were  placed  on  cots 
and  taken  out  of  the  second  story  windows  of  the  hospital  and  placed  on  a 
flat  boat,  which  was  poled  to  the  high  land  at  Villa  Ridge  which  was  as  far 
as  the  cars  could  run.  Mr.  Kimbell  engaged  a  special  car  of  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
and  the  boys  were  shoved  through  the  end  windows,  on  their  cots,  and  placed 
on  top  of  the  backs  of  the  seats,  and  thus  taken  to  Chicago,  where  their 
friends  met  them  and  conveyed  them  to  their  different  homes. 

Heimberger  and  Bailey  died  soon  after,  and  the  only  survivors  at  this 
date  are  C.  B.  Kimbell  and  C.  C.  Nelson.  "While  in  the  hospital  at  Mound 
City  the  surgeons  decided  to  amputate  Kimbell's  leg,  but  his  vigorous  pro- 
test delayed  the  attempt  at  the  operation  until  the  arrival  of  his  father, 
whom  he  had  telegraphed  at  Paducah.  His  timely  arrival,  and  decided 
protest,  carried  the  day,  and  the  surgeons  reluctantly  decided  to  postpone 
the  operation,  and  the  final  result  was  his  recovery  with  a  fairly  sound  leg. 

On  the  loth  of  April,  we  received  a  stand  of  colors  from  "friends  at 
home,"  accompanied  by  this  letter  : 

CHICAGO,  April  7th,  1862. 
To  THE  MEMUERS  OF  COMPANY  "A,"  CHICAGO  LIGHT  ARTILLERY: 

Gallant  Men  and  Brave  Soldiers : — When  you  left  us,  your  friends 
and  fellow  citizens,  on  that  solemn  Sunday  night  one  year  ago,  we  felt  sure 
that  when,  in  the  vicissitudes  of  war  your  hour  of  trial  came,  you  would 
not  fiinch  or  be  found  wanting,  and  we  have  not  been  disappointed.  You 
have  done  your  whole  duty  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  no  greater  praise 


(1862)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  ^A."  49 

than  this  can  be  said  of  any  soldiers.  We  are  proud  of  yon  all,  and  your 
whole  city  is  proud  of  you,  and  the  State  and  Nation  are  proud  of  you. 
Your  fame  lias  filled  the  land,  and  you  have  deserved  it  all. 

Receive  this  Flag  and  Banner,  then,  brave  men,  as  slight  tokens  of 
the  gratitude,  the  admiration  and  the  unwavering  confidence  of  your  Chi- 
cago friends.  On  the  glorious  blue  of  the  banner  we  have  inscribed  the 
words,  "Fort  Donelson,"  because  there  you  covered  yourselves  with  glory, 
and,  by  driving  back  by  deeds  of  valor,  an  enemy  flushed  with  the  certainty 
of  victory,  you  won  in  that  memorable  conflict  the  applause  and  the  appro- 
bation of  a  grateful  Nation.  And  with  the  Flag  and  Banner  receive  also 
the  assurance  of  our  firm  belief  that  you  will  never  dishonor  them;  as  well 
as  our  sincere  prayer  that  the  God  of  Battles  will  protect  you  and  give  tri- 
umph to  the  right. 

YOUR  FRIENDS  AT  HOME. 

[REPLY.] 

PITTSBURG,  TENNESSEF,  April  16,  1862. 
To  OUR  FRIENDS  AT  HOME  : 

Words  of  cheer,  ever  welcome  to  the  absent  soldier,  have  this  week 
been  showered  upon  us  by  those  at  home,  who,  one  year  ago — on  our  de- 
parture to  take  part  in  our  country's  struggle — bade  us  as  heartily,  "God 
bless  and  care  for  you."  We  are  to-day  proud  that  we  were  among  the  first 
to  leave  home;  proud  that  by  our  efforts  we  have  won  your  praise  and  con- 
fidence, and  proud  in  the  knowledge  that,  after  peace  shall  have  blessed  our 
now  distracted  and  unhappy  country,  we  may  say,  "We  helped  to  gain  it." 

Gentlemen — With  many  thanks,  we  receive  the  Flags,  assuring  you 
that  never  by  deed  of  ours  shall  they  be  disgraced,  but  triumphantly  borne 
aloft  unto  the  end. 

May  we  ever  be  deserving  of  your  respect  and  admiration,  by  unwav- 
ering and  aealous  endeavors  to  do  our  whole  duty.  And  in  the  coming 
struggle  may  God  defend  the  right. 

COMPANY  "A"  CHICAGO  LIGHT  ARTILLERY. 

When  the  forward  movement  to  Corinth  commenced,  we  were  placed 
back  in  General  Lew  Wallace's  division,  which  was  held  in  reserve  on  Pea 
Ridge  till  after  the  evacuation  of  Corinth.  Here  Mort.  Pratt  was  taken 
prisoner  while  foraging  with  Willard  (old  man)  Wilcox,  who  came  into 
camp  with  three  buckshot  under  his  skin. 

Pratt  was  held  as  prisoner  several  months.  He,  with  two  others,  made 
their  escape  once  and  were  at  liberty  two  or  three  days  endeavoring  to  make 
their  way  to  Memphis  to  rejoin  their  commands.  They  traveled  by  night, 
being  fed  and  directed  in  their  course  by  friendly  negroes,  and  remained  in 


50  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '-A"  (1862) 

hiding  during  the  day.  They  were  pursued  and  tracked  by  blood  hounds, 
and  recaptured,  and  taken  back  to  the  rebel  prison  from  which  they  escaped, 
where  they  received  more  inhuman  treatment  than  the  other  prisoners,  on 
account  of  their  efforts  to  escape,  lie  was  finally  sent  with  a  large  num- 
ber of  others  on  a  steamer  up  the  Mississippi  river  to  Cairo  for  exchange. 
In  passing  Memphis  the  boat  made  a  short  stop  and  anchored  out  near  the 
middle  or  the  river,  to  prevent  any  of  the  boys  from  coming  ashore.  Coal 
barges  were  sent  out  from  the  wharf  with  coal  for  the  steamer. 

Among  the  spectators  in  the  large  crowd  of  soldiers  on  the  wharf, 
were  a  number  of  the  Battery  boys.  Mort.  was  so  overjoyed  to  see  them, 
that,  regardless  of  the  consequences,  he  jumped  overboard,  swam  under  the 
steamer  and  a  barge  and  came  out  on  the  opposite  or  shore  side,  and  was 
taken  by  the  boys  to  the  Battery  camp  unmolested.  His  condition  was 
pitiable  in  the  extreme,  but  his  peculiar  grin  of  happiness  at  being  once 
more  a  free  man,  made  it  comical.  His  clothing,  what  little  he  had,  was  a 
complete  mass  of  shreds,  and  being  wet  from  his  plunge  and  swim,  clung 
to  his  body  as  though  glued  there.  He  was  granted  a  furlough  home, 
and  shortly  after  his  return,  was  appointed  Captain  of  a  colored  Batten7, 
and  served  with  it  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

After  remaining  in  camp  a  few  weeks  at  Pea  Ridge,  the  march  toward 
Memphis  was  begun.  Our  route  was  by  easy  stages  via  Purdy,  Somerville 
and  Bolivar,  Tennessee,  where  we  remained  two  or  three  days,  thence  on  to 
Union  Station,  near  Memphis.  Gen.  Lew  Wallace  went  on  to  Memphis, 
which  had  surrendered  a  few  days  before.  He  found  the  rebel  civil  officers 
of  the  city  were  ruling  the  place  to  suit  themselves,  and,  without  waiting 
for  any  red  tape  orders,  marched  us  into  the  city  on  the  17th  of  June,  ar- 
riving at  midnight  during  one  of  the  hardest  rain  storms  we  ever  experi- 
enced. The  rebel  police  seemed  to  take  special  delight  in  persecuting  any 
of  the  darkies  connected  with  the  Union  Army.  Two  of  our  officers'  serv- 
ants were  arrested  without  cause  the  first  day  of  our  entry  to  the  city.  The 
next  morning  Lieutenants  Wood  and  Rumsey,  with  nearly  half  of  the  boys 
of  the  Battery,  went  to  the  Police  Court  and  compelled  the  Judge  t>>  re- 
lease them,  and  informed  him  that  a  repetition  of  such  doings  would  neces- 
sitate the  tearing  dowrn  of  his  "temple  of  justice,"  and  the  police  would  be 
arrested  and  flogged.  It  is  needless  to  say  the  colored  servants  were  not 
molested  again. 


(1862)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  -1A."  5l 

Daring  our  march  to  Memphis,  Alex.  Anderson,  one  of  our  old 
members,  and  the  life  of  the  Battery,  was  taken  alarmingly  sick,  and  im- 
mediately on  our  arrival  at  Memphis,  was  placed  in  the  Gayoso  Hospital, 
which  was  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy.  He  became  violently  insane, 
and,  breaking  away  from  the  attendants,  jumped  from  the  fourth  story  win- 
dow, landing  on  the  hard  pavement  below.  He  was  so  severely  injured  that 
he  lived  but  a  short  time. 

It  was  on  this  march  that  Jo  Sproule  uttered  a  remark  which  made 
him  famous,  being  so  original  and  full  of  Irish  wit.  The  night  was  as  dark 
as  could  be  made.  A  number  of  the  boys  sat  down  in  front  of  an  old  cot- 
ton shed  in  which  all  the  others  had  stretched  themselves  out  to  have  a 
smoke  by  a  smoking,  smoldering  fire.  It  was  so  dark  the  boys  could  not 
see  their  hands  before  them.  Jo  was  sucking  away  at  his  pipe,  trying  to 
light  it.  After  taking  several  strong  puffs,  he  broke  out  with,  "Be  Jasus, 
it  is  poor  satisfaction  smoking  whin  you  can't  see  your  own  bhlast."  The 
roar  that  followed  made  the  boys  forget  their  discomforts  for  awhile,  and 
Jo's  expression  became  a  by- word  in  the  Battery. 

We  passed  a  very  comfortable  summer  in  camp  at  Memphis.  We  had 
frequent  company  drills  and  occasionally  a  march  through  the  streets  of  the 
city,  which  we  thought  was  done  to  make  an  impression  on  the  minds  of 
the  natives.  The  Battery  received  recruits  until  we  had  the  maximum 
number.  Early  in  September  C.  B.  Kimbell  returned  to  the  Battery,  bring- 
iug  nine  recruits  with  him,  his  brothers,  Julius  W.  and  Spencer  S.,  among 
them.  Occasional  expeditions  into  the  country  served  to  relieve  the  mo- 
notony of  camp  life,  the  principal  ones  being  the  Hernando  or  cold  water 
march,  and  the  Tallahatchie  march. 

While  stationed  at  Memphis,  three  of  the  members,  Charley  Arnold, 
Win.  Kirk  and  Harry  Hobart,  had  an  experience  which  made  a  lasting  im- 
pression on  their  memories,  and  served  as  a  guide  to  their  future  course 
through  life.  They  were  not  particularly  proud  of  the  part  they  took,  but 
as  Charley  Arnold  explains  in  extenuation  of  his  part,  he  was  young,  and, 
with  both  the  others,  was  innocent  of  any  wrong  doing.  But  there  was 
quite  an  element  of  spice  and  adventure  about  it  that  made  it  rather  inter- 
esting, and  as  the  survivors  have  been  called  upon  many  times  to  narrate  it, 
they  will  not  object  to  having  it  permanently  and  correctly  recorded.  It 
began  on  one  of  the  expeditions  out  from  Memphis,  and  is  best  told  in 


52  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1862) 

Charley  Arnold's  own  words:  " While  on  the  Hernando  march,  one  of  the 
horses  in  our  squad  had  terribly  galled  shoulders  and  was  to  me  an  object 
of  extreme  solicitude.  At  one  of  our  stops  on  the  road,  Bill  Kirk,  Harry 
Hobart  and  myself  took  kettles  and  went  in  search  of  water.  We  came 
across  some  horses  hitched  to  trees,  that  we  concluded  at  once  were  rebel 
horses  and  legitimate  prey.  I  had  suggested  that  one  of  them  might  make 
a  good  substitute  for  that  poor,  galled  horse;  whereupon  we  decided  to 
take  one  for  that  purpose,  with  the  understanding  that  we  should  take  turns 
riding  the  galled  horse.  This  worked  all  right  till  we  got  back  to  Memphis, 
and  we  were  happy.  A  week  or  so  after  we  had  got  into  camp  at  Memphis 
again.  Kirk  and  Hobart  had  been  down  town  on  passes,  and,  coming  back, 
informed  me  that  they  could  sell  our  horse  to  a  friend  of  theirs,  a  former 
Ohicagoan,  who  was  in  the  wagon  making  business  in  Memphis.  I  agreed, 
and  the  following  day  they  took  the  horse  down  town  and  came  back  with 
$60  in  cash.  They  gave  me  $20  and  kept  $20  each.  We  had  a  high  time 
for  a  few  days,  and  thought  not  of  a  day  of  reckoning  ;  but  it  came.  A 
Provost  Guard  of  three  appeared  in  camp  a  week  or  so  tnereafter,  with  or- 
ders to  arrest  Harry  Hobart  and  William  Kirk.  We  were  all  three  in  one 
tent  at  the  time,  and  when  the  guard  announced  their  errand  Hobart  an. 
swered  promptly,  but  Kirk  turned  over  in  his  bunk,  hiding  his  face,  appa- 
rently very  much  frightened.  Seeing  his  condition  and  realizing  that  I  was 
equally  culpable  with  him,  (the  squad  havirg  explained  cause  of  arrest),  i 
announced  that  I  was  the  man  they  wanted,  and,  taking  Kirk's  place,  Ho- 
bart and  myself  were  marched  to  the  Irving  block  and  put  in  with  the 
other  prisoners,  both  Federal  and  Confederates.  The  immediate  cause  of 
the  arrest  and  the  reason  my  name  was  not  in  the  order,  was  this  :  Some 
time  previous  to  the  Hernando  march  a  bunch  of  Federal  Cavalry  had  been 
in  the  same  locality  where  we  got  the  horse,  and  one  of  them  forcib  y 
traded  the  horse  he  was  riding  (and  owned),  for  a  much  better  one  than  his 
own.  (It  will  be  recalled  that  cavalry  men  generally  owned  their  own 
horses.)  It  seems  that  the  very  horse  lie  left  was  the  one  we  took,  and,  when 
the  cavarly  man,  by  chance,  saw  his  old  horse  in  the  possession  of  the  black- 
smith in  Memphis,  he  claimed  him,  and,  because  the  blacksmith  wouldn't 
give  him  up,  claiming  he  had  bought  and  paid  for  him,  the  trooper  had  the 
old  man  arrested,  and  the  whole  story  came  out,  how  the  blacksmith  had 
bought  the  hurse  of  Kirk  and  Hobart,  etc.  He  didn't  know  anything  about 


(*86a)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  53 

my  part  in  the  deal,  and  I  might  have  escaped  all  that  followed  if  I  had  net 
pitied  Kirk.  The  cavalry  man,  by  his  action,  run  his  head  into  a  noose, 
too,  for,  while  the  horse  he  left  in  the  country  was  his  own  the  horse  he 
took  became  a  government  horse,  same  as  the  one  we  took,  became  a  gov- 
ernment horse,  and  not  private  property,  a  fact  that  we  were  soon  to  learn  in 
a  very  summary  and  lasting  manner.  He  lost  his  horse  and  we  paid  for  our 
fnn,  while  the  blacksmith  was  liberated.  Kirk  escaped,  for  we  said  nothing 
about  him,  while  Ilobart  and  myself  were  confined  and  court  martialed.  I 
don't  recollect  just  how  long  we  were  in  the  Irving  block,  but  only  a  few 
days,  for  we  escaped  one  night,  taking  a  perilous  chance  to  get  away  from 
our  undesirable  associates  and  their  vermin.  It  was  a  'thrilling  escaspe.' 
We  had,  in  a  day  or  two,  got  acquainted  with  an  inmate  by  the  name  of 
Kelly,  a  member  of  the  6th  Missouri,  who  suspected  by  our  appearance,  I 
presume,  that  we  needed  sympathy  and  aid  if  we  could  get  it.  Not  being 
accustomed  to  such  surroundings,  he  took  us  aside  and  quietly  unfolded  a 
plan  for  our  escape.  He  said  he  had  a  rope  up  the  chimney  leading  from 
the  fireplace  and  that  he  could  let  us  down  during  the  night  into  the  alley; 
said  he  had  helped  out  quite  a  number,  but  there  was  danger  ;  that  a  day 
or  two  before  a  warning  had  been  read  to  the  prisoners  ;  that  if  any  more 
escapes  were  attempted,  the  guard  had  orders  to  shoot  without  halting.  We 
felt  a  little  nervous  over  this,  so  Kelly  proposed  that  at  midnight  he  would 
fix  up  a  "dummy"  to  test  the  sincerity  of  the  order.  We  had  gunny  sacks 
to  sleep  on.  Kelly  took  some  of  these  and  stuffed  them  into  a  pair  of  pants 
and  tied  a  pair  of  boots  to  the  bottom  of  the  pants.  Hitching  a  pair  of 
suspenders  to  this,  he  approached  the  window  and  let  it  down.  All  was 
silent  for  awhile.  Then  Kelly  rattled  the  boo's  against  the  side  of  the  wall 
when — bang  went  a  gun  and  a  bullet  whistled  by.  Immediately  there  was 
an  alarm,  and  we  heard  the  tramp  of  hurrying  feet  up  the  stairs.  Every 
man  tumbled  on  the  floor  and  feigned  sleep.  Kelly  had  taken  the  stuffing 
out  of  his  dummy.  Soon  the  door  opened  and  in  rushed  the  guard  and  an 
officer,  wanting  to  know  who  had  escaped.  Of  course,  we  were  all  ignorant 
of  anything  of  the  sort.  So  the  roll  was  called,  and  every  man  answered  to 
his  name.  The  officer  remarked,  'It  must  be  up-stairs,'  and  they  filed  out. 
They  did  not  find  anybody  missing,  and  the  mystery  remained  unexplained. 
This  same  day  I  had  found  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  the  officer  of  the 
guard,  and  in  explaining  our  predicament,  had  gained  his  sympathy,  so  he 


54  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY 


gave  Hobart  and  me  the  privilege  of  the  corridor,  which  extended  the 
whole  length  of  the  building.  This  fact  gave  ns  an  opportunity  to  carry 
out  a  plan  that  we  decided  on  the  next  morning.  The  disgusting  food  and 
filthy  surroundings,  decided  us  to  take  our  chances  that  night  to  get  to 
camp  again,  at  least  to  get  a  square  meal  or  two  and  change  of  clothing. 
Hobart  was  to  watch  the  guard  at  the  fiont  or  street  side,  while  I  was  to 
watch  the  rear  alley,  and  when  both  guards  were  away  from  the  side  alley 
where  we  expected  to  escape,  we  were  to  make  the  attempt.  This  moment 
arrived  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  Kelly  had  everything  ready. 
We  slid  into  the  alley  and  walked  boldly  out  on  to  the  lighted  street,  and 
quickly  made  our  way  to  carnp  without  further  incident,  going  to  the  creek 
for  a  bath  and  change  before  we  turned  in. 

"Capt.  Wood  and  the  boys  were  very  much  surprised  to  see  us  in  line, 
at  roll  call  the  next  morning.  After  roll  call  the  Captain  called  us  up  for 
an  explanation.  We  told  him  all  about  it.  He  advised  us  to  go  back  and 
report  to  the  officer  in  command.  'I  won't  send  a  guard  with  you;  go 
yourselves,  and  tell  the  whole  story,'  said  he.  So  we  went  back  and  did 
so.  The  commander  was  surprised  that  we  had  no  guard,  and  I  could  see 
that  he  was  also  amused.  We  told  him  we  wanted  a  bath,  a  change  of 
clothing  and  something  good  to  eat.  He  gave  us  better  quarters  than  we 
had  before.  1  suppose  Kelly  lost  his  rope.  That  day  Capt.  Wood  came  to 
see  us,  bringing  with  him  Major  Willard,  who  was  the  Provost  Marshal  of 
Memphis.  They  talked  very  seriously  to  us,  saying  that  we  had,  willingly 
or  unwillingly,  committed  a  cr'rne,  and  that  they  could  do  nothing  for  us  ; 
their  business  was  to  enforce  discipline,  «nd  that  the  law  should  and  must 
take  its  course.  Thev  said,  however,  they  had  succeeded  in  ijettinor  Gen. 

«/  •/  o  ~ 

Sherman  to  permit  us  to  go  to  camp  and  there  remain  under  arrest  until 
the  court  martial  covened.  Whereupon  we  went  to  camp  and  a  special  tent 
was  erected  for  our  accommodation,  where  we  remained  several  weeks  with 
nothing  to  do — und«T  guard,  of  course,  but  quite  at  liberty.  The  boys 
thought  we  were  having  a  i:ood  time  and  wanted  to  be  under  arrest,  too. 

"Finally,  we  were  summoned  for  trial,  and  again  we  went  without  guard 
and  reported  to  the  court.  The  first  question  was,  'where  is  you-  guard/ 
'We  haven't  any.'  'Well,  well,  this  is  surprising,'  said  the  Judge  Advocate. 
'Who  is  your  counsel?'  was  next  asked.  'We  haven't  any.'  We  were 
ushered  into  the  building  and  the  court  solemnly  convened,  and  we  were 


(1862)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  55 

alone  without  counsel  or  a  friend  in  sight.  Things  looked  serious  to  us. 
The  charges  were  about  to  be  read,  when  in  walked  Major  Willard  and 
Capt.  Wood.  Major  Willard  immediately  announced  that  he  appeared  for 
the  defendants.  The  charges  and  specifications  were  formidable,  and  I  didn't 
see  how  we  were  going  to  escape  being  shot ;  but,  by  the  adroit  manage- 
ment of  Major  Willard  (who  was  a  good  lawyer),  and  the  influence  of  both 
the  Major  and  Captain  Wood,  the  charges  were  cut  down  to  'a  breach  of 
good  order  and  military  discipline,  and  conduct  unbecoming  a  soldier.'  On 
this  we  were  convicted,  and  lined  two  month's  pay.  The  horse  we  gob- 
bled, and  suppofced  to  be  ours,  was  really  Uncle  Sam's,  and  we  had  legally 
committed  a  serious  crime  ;  but  it  was  irrade  plain  enough  that  we  did  not 
realize  it,  and.  owing  to  our  previous  good  record  and  conduct,  we  were 
let  off  lightly."  It  is  needless  to  say  that  neither  of  the  three  boys  ven- 
tured in  any  uncertain  deals  during  the  remainder  of  their  army  service. 

Our  next  move  was  the  advance  on  Vicksburg,  by  the  way  of  the  Yazoo 
at  Chickasaw  Bayou  and  Haines  Bluff.  WTe  embarked  on  the  steamer  "City 
of  Memphis,"  Dect  mber  20,  and  went  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  Yazoo. 
On  the  night  of  Friday,  December  20,  we  debarked  from  the  steamer, 
landing  against  a  steep  bank,  up  which  we  had  to  drag  our  guns  by  hand, 
camping  there  that  night,  and  moving  into  line  of  battle  the  next  day, 
when  fighting  was  begun,  mostly  by  the  infantry,  Frank  Blair's  men  mak- 
ing a  brilliant  charge  through  the  mud.  We  masked  our  Battery  and  re- 
mained quiet  till  Sunday  morning,  wht-n  we  marched  forward  to  Chickasaw 
Bayou.  Our  movements  at  this  point  are  fully  detailed  in  Capt.  Wood's 
official  report,  which  follows  : 

HEADQUARTERS,  COMPANY  "A,"  FIRST  ILL.  ARTILLERY, 

ON  BOARD  STEAMER  PLANET,  January  16,  1863. 
DEAR  SIR: — 

I  have  the  honor  of  reporting  to  you  the  part  taken  by  the  Battery 
under  my  command  in  the  actions  before  Vicksburg,  on  the  27th,  23th» 
29th,  30th,  and  31st  nit.,  and  the  1st  inst. 

Battery  debarked  from  steamer,  City  of  Memphis,  on  the  night  of 
Friday  the  26th  ult.,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Yazoo,  about  one  mile  above 
the  old  river.  On  Saturday  morning,  with  Division,  moved  toward  the 
front,  bivouacing  for  the  night  near  the  Vicksburg  road. 

On  Sunday  morning,  moved  forward  to  Chickasaw  Bayou;  went  into 
Battery  about  1 1  A.  M.,  and  opened  a  sharp  fire  on  the  Levee  Rifle  Pits, 


BATTLE  OF  CHICKftSftW  BAYOU,  MI88. 

DECEMBER  29  TH,  1862. 

Showing  1st  Bittalion  13th  U.  S.  Int'tiitry   as    sharpshooters,  behind  trees 

and  logs,  on  right;  6th  Missouri  Infantry  crossing  Bayou;  and 

Battery  "A"  Chicago  Light  Artillery  on  left  of  picture. 


Drawn  by  Win.  B.  Daniels,  Albion,  Boone  Co.,  Neb.,  who  was  a  private  in  Co.  "C," 
i  st  Battalion,  I3th  U.  S.  Infantry,  and  participated  in  the  above  engagement. 


13th  Infantry  commanded  by  Major  U.  Chase. 
Battery  "A"  C.  L.  A.  commanded  by  Captain  P.  P.  Wood. 

Brigade  commanded  by  Colonel  Giles  A.  Smith. 

Division  commanded  by  General  Morgan  L.  Smith. 

Army  commanded  by  General  W.  T.  Sherman. 


REFERENCES:     "Sherman's  Memoirs,"  pages  438,  439  and  44t,  volume  i. 
Greeley's  "American  Conflict,"  page  291,  volume  2. 


EXTRACT  FKOM  GEN.  SHERMAN'S  MEMOIRS,  VOL.  i,  PAGE  320: 

u  Meantime  the  Sixth  Missouri  Infantry,  at  heavy  loss,  had  also 
crossed  the  bayou  at  the  narrow  passage  lower  down,  but  could  not  ascend 
the  steep  bank;  right  over  their  heads  was  a  rebel  battery,  whose  fire  was 
in  a  measure  kept  down  by  our  sharpshooters  (Thirteenth  U.  S.  Infantry) 
posted  behind  logs,  stumps  and  trees,  on  our  side  of  the  bayou.  The  men 
of  the  Sixth  Missouri  actually  scooped  out  with  their  hands  caves  in  the 
bank,  which  sheltered  them  against  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  who,  right  over 
their  heads,  held  their  muskets  outside  the  parapet  vertically,  and  fired 
down.  ISo  critical  was  the  position,  that  we  could  not  recall  the  men  till 
after  dark,  and  then  one  at  a  time." 


BATTLE  OF  CHICKASAW  BAYOU. 


(1863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  59' 

and  a  Battery  opposite,  it  is  supposed  with  some  effect,  as  soon  after  open- 
ing, two  regiments  and  some  field  pieces  of  the  enemy  moved  rapidly  to  a 
more  covered  position.  We  were  engaged  about  three  hours. 

On  Monday,  from  same  position,  were  ordered  t«>  cover  the  advance  of 
the  6ch  Missouri  Regiment,  which  we  did,  firing  rapidly  for  about  one- 
hour,  (for  tear  of  endangjring  the  infantry  in  front,  we  used  our  explosives 
with  uncut  fuse),  retained  our  position,  after  our  fire  was  ordered  ceased 
until  dark,  when  we  were  retired,  being  relieved  by  Battery  "B,"  Capt.  Bar- 
rett. We  were  under  fire  this  day  about  four  hours. 

Tuesday  night  we  were  ordered  by  Major  Taylor  into  an  intrenchment 
(thrown  up  by  the  55th  Illinois  under  direction  of  Col.  Malmborg),  in  and 
over  a  ravine  on  the  right  of  Division,  the  position  enfilading  enemy's  pits,, 
and  covering  or  cross-firing  Ford,  attempted  by  the  6th,  on  the  preceding 
day.  Had  but  four  guns  in  this  position.  Fired  none  on  Wednesday. 

On  Wednesday  night,  with  two  detachments  of  command,  assisted  in 
placing  in  position,  (to  the  right  of  Light  Battery),  two  30  pound  Parrott 
guns. 

Thursday  afternoon,  the  enemy  amused  themselves  trying  to  unmask 
us,  but,  as  ordered,  we  returned  no  compliments. 

At  8  P.  M.  on  Thursday,  received  orders  to  withdraw  with  command  to- 
boats;  started  about  10  P.M.;  arrived  at  boat  and  embarked  during  the 
night  in  good  order.  Loss  in  men — none  ;  horses,  four  wounded.  Rounds 
of  ammunition  expended  during  the  two  days,  the  28th  and  29th,  shell,  22 
pounder  howitzer,  117;  spherical  case,  12  pounder  howitzer,  108;  spherical 
case,  6  pounder  gun,  286  ;  solid  shot,  6  pounder  gun,  296.  Total  rounds,. 
807.  Very  respectfully, 

P.  P.  WOOD,  Captain, 
Commanding  Company  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 

When  the  order  came,  Thursday  night,  to  quietly  hook  up  and  with- 
draw to  the  boats  we  were  all  greatly  surprised ;  but  we  learned  the  reason, 
for  it  afterward.  Gen.  Grant  had  failed  to  connect  there,  owing  to  the  de- 
struction of  his  base  of  supplies  at  Holly  Springs. 

Gen.  McClernand  took  command  of  the  expedition  here,  and  with  it 
we  came  back  to  the  mouth  of  White  River,  up  which  we  proceeded  to  the- 
"cut  off,"  when  we  went  up  the  Arkansas  River  to  Arkansas  Post. 

We  were  engaged  in  battle  here  on  the  10th  and  llth  of  January,. 
1863,  without  the  loss  of  a  man  and  with  one  horse  killed  and  four 
wounded.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  the  fight  we  occupied  a  very  exposed 
position  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's  works,  where  we  went 


60  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1863) 

instantly  to  work,  sending  half  second  shells  among  their  works  so  rapidly 
the  rebels  found  it  impossible  to  return  the  fire.  This  was  kept  up  until 
•our  ammunition  was  entirely  exhausted,  when  we  were  relieved  by  Battery 
"B,"  about  fifteen  minutes  before  the  fort  surrendered  with  its  6,000  pris- 
oners and  10,000  stand  of  arms.  Capt.  Wood  received  a  severe  sprain  of 
the  ankle  during  this  engagement,  which,  though  very  painful,  did  not 
keep  him  from  duty. 

Our  boys  will  never  forget  the  trip  up  the  Arkansas  River,  on  the 
steamer  "Von  Puhl."  The  weather  was  very  cold,  wet  and  disagreeable, 
the  rain  freezing  as  it  fell.  Several  darkies  crawled  under  the  boilers  to 
keep  warm,  and  smothered  during  the  night.  They  were  "buried"  in  the 
river  the  next  day.  One  of  the  bo}7s,  Charley  Arnold,  found  a  place  to 
sleep  on  a  box  about  six  feet  long  and  two  feet  wide.  He  noticed  a  disa- 
greeable odor  during  the  night  which  he  could  not  account  for.  The  next 
morning,  when  he  rolled  up  his  blankets,  he  found  marked  on  the  box  the 
name  of  a  Captain  who  had  been  killed  at  Chickasaw,  whose  body  had 
been  enclosed  in  the  box.  Another  soldier,  not  one  of  the  Battery,  who 
was  a  little  "full,"  crawled  in  with  a  dead  soldier  who  lay  on  the  upper 
deck  under  a  blanket. 

The  details  of  this  fight  are  given  in  Captain  Wood's  subjoined  re- 
port : 

HEADQUARTERS  COMPANY  "A,"  ILLINOIS  FIRST  ARTILLERY, 
ON  BOARD  STEAMER  "PLANET,"  January  16,  1863. 

DEAR  SIR  : — I  have  the  honor  of  reporting  to  you  the  part  takeu  by 
the  Battery,  under  my  command,  in  the  action  at  the  Post  of  Arkansas  on 
the  10th  and  llth  inst.: 

We  debarked  about  three  miles  from  the  Fort  on  the  morning  of  the 
10th  inst.,  and  immediately  moved  forward  with  1st  Brigade,  (under  quite 
a  heavy  fire  from  the  fort),  into  the  woods,  inside  of  the  enemy's  second 
line  of  works.  During  the  night  moved  further  to  the  front  and  right, 
and,  on  Sunday  morning,  were  ordered  into  position  by  Gen.  Sherman,  in 
cleared  space  on  the  left  of  the  Division,  and  north  of  Fort.  At  half-past 
12,  opened  fire  on  batteries  and  pits,  which  fire  was  kept  up  with  but  little 
intermission,  until  our  infantry  advanced,  when  we  were  ordered  forward 
on  road  leading  directly  into  the  Fort.  From  this  position  were  again  ad- 
vanced to  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  works,  where  we  remained, 
keeping  up  a  steady  but  not  rapid  fire.  Our  ammunition  getting  short,  I 
ceased  the  fire  from  two  sections,  keeping  up  this  fire  until  our  chests  were 


(1863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  6i 

empty.  I  retired  the  guns  singly  to  our  first  position,  where  finding  thirty 
rounds  of  6  pounder  projectiles,  I  sent  one  gun  forward,  where  it  remained 
but  a  moment  before  being  relieved  by  Battery  "B."  A  few  moments 
after,  word  was  brought  of  victory. 

Loss  in  men — none;  horses,  one  killed,  four  wounded.  (Horse  be- 
longing to  Lieut.  McCagg,  killed.)  Rounds  of  ammunition  expended, 
shell,  12  pounder  howitzer,  98  ;  spherical  case,  12  pounder  howitzer,  96  ; 
spherical  case,  6  pounder  gun,  371  ;  solid  shot,  6  pounder  gun,  139.  Total 
rounds,  701. 

Of  Lieutentants  McCagg  and  Young,  and  the  men  in  the  command, 
it  is  needless  to  use  words  of  praise.  Suffice  it,  that  every  man  in  the 
command  feels  we  did  what  we  always  strive  to  do,  our  whole  duty. 

Yery  respectfully, 

P.  P.  WOOD,  Captain, 
Commanding  Battery  '-A."  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 

In  this  last  fight  we  had  a  wheel  shot  away,  and  one  man  knocked 
over  by  round  shot.  The  man  was  unhurt. 

"The  rebels  are  wasting  considerable  ammunition  this  morning,  but 
do  us  no  damage  whatever." 

The  man  referred  to  was  Julius  W.  Kimbell.  He  was  helpless  several 
days  from  the  effects  of  the  injury. 

Squad  one,  Geo.  M.  Brown,  gunner,  fired  the  signal  gun  that  com- 
menced the  attack  on  this  Fort.  Our  boys,  were  glad  to  see  the  white  flag 
go  up  on  the  Fort.  It  had  hardly  been  raised  when  a  number  of  the  Bat- 
tery boys  ran  for  the  fort  and  jumped  over  the  rifle  pits  into  it.  Inside 
they  saw  a  rebel  soldier  with  both  legs  shot  off,  alive  and  holding  the 
stumps  in  his  hands  and  swearing  like  a  trooper.  Just  then  a  rebel  artil- 
lery Major  came  up  and,  shaking  hands  with  our  boys,  asked  if  they  be- 
longed to  the  Battery  down  the  road.  Upon  being  answered  in  the  affirm- 
ative, he  said,  "You  raised  hell  with  us,"  and  pointed  to  his  guns  and  the 
dead  and  wounded  men  and  horses  lying  about.  He  said  they  had  shot 
most  of  the  horses  themselves ;  the  horses  were  nearly  all  dead. 

Our  boys  walked  about  to  see  the  results  of  our  victory,  and  saw  many 
horrible  sights.  One  casemented  gun  that  had  exploded  or  been  knocked 
to  pieces  by  the  gunboats,  had  a  number  of  dead  and  terribly  mangled 
gunners  inside  the  casement.  The  iron  rails  of  the  casement  had  been 
doubled  and  twisted  all  out  of  shape  by  the  terrific  fire  of  the  heavy  guns. 


62  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1863) 


Altogether  it  was  a  great  victory,  and  compensated  for  the  failure  at  Chick- 
asaw  Bayou,  although  the  withdrawal  from  that  place  was  a  masterly 
retreat,  and  the  best  and  only  thing  to  do  under  the  circumstances. 

From  here  we  were  moved  to  Young's  Point,  opposite  Vicksburg,  and 
went  into  camp  just  inside  the  levee,  where  we  laid  all  winter,  while  the 
long  preparations  for  the  final  Vicksburg  siege  were  made.  This  was  a 
•dull  winter  for  the  Battery,  and  the  boys  do  not  have  any  very  pleasant 
recollections  of  these  camps  ;  there  was  so  much  sickness  and  so  many 
deaths.  The  old  levee  was  full  of  dead  soldiers,  although  our  Battery  fared 
very  well  in  this  respect.  In  addition  to  their  regular  duties,  they  manned 
two  30-lb.  Parrott  guns,  while  Butler's  canal  was  being  dug.  The  canal 
would  persist  in  overflowing  and  flooding  our  camps.  On  one  of  these 
occasions  some  of  the  Battery  boys  went  hunting  for  ducks  in  a  boat,  and 
were  upset.  Fred  Church,  who  was  one  of  the  party,  illustrated  it  the  next 
day,  in  his  own  inimitable  manner,  and  furnished  a  great  deal  of  amuse- 
ment to  the  camp  out  of  their  misadventure.  Few  stirring  incidents  oc- 
curred during  the  winter. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  the  rebel  transport  "Vicksburg,"  ran  the 
blockade,  receiving  three  30-lb.  shots  from  the  guns  manned  by  our  boys. 
On  the  26th  two  more  transports  attempted  the  same  feat,  but  were  driven 
back. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  our  right  section  went  with  Colonel 
•Giles  A.  Smith  up  the  Sunflower  River  and  Black  Bayou  to  the  relief  of 
Porter's  gunboats,  which  was  most  timely,  as  the  Admiral  was  preparing 
to  blow  them  up  to  save  them. 

On  the  night  of  April  13,  we  were  fortunate  spectators  of  the  grand 
sight  of  our  gunboats  running  past  the  rebel  batteries  at  Vicksburg. 

Soon  after  we  went  with  Sherman  up  the  Yazoo,  and  made  a  feint  on 
Haines'  Bluff.  The  design  was  to  cause  Pemberton  to  reinforce  the  Bluft' 
instead  of  sending  troops  to  interfere  with  Grant's  crossing  at  Grand  Gulf. 
It  had  the  desired  effect. 

We  were  hurried  back  out  of  the  Yazoo,  and  overtook  the  rest  of  the 
army  at  Raymond  on  the  night  of  May  15.  The  next  day  the  battle  of 
Champion  Hill  was  fought,  where  we  were  in  position  and  under  flre,  but 
were  not  engaged.  May  17,  we  marched  to  the  Big  Black  at  a  place  called 
Bridgeport,  where  one  rebel  Lieutenant  and  twelve  men  kept  our  Division 


<i863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  63 

under  command  of  Gen.  F.  P.  Blair,  from  laving  in  pontoons  from  10 
o'clock  until  3.  At  that  time  Gen.  Sherman  arrived  at  the  river,  and 
seeing  onl}7  a  rifle-pit  about  fifty  feet  long,  ordered  Capt.  Wood  to  open  on 
it  with  one  of  our  guns.  We  fired  three  shells  when  the  rebels  surrend- 
ered, and  the  pontoon  was  built  and  we  crossed  over  that  night.  On  the 
18th  we  advanced  on  the  works  around  Vicksburg. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  the  three  corps  being  in  line,  a  charge  was  made, 
which  the  rebels  easily  repulsed,  as  they  had  the  best  natural  fortifications 
that  could  be  desired,  rifie  pits,  heavy  earthworks  at  the  angles,  with  innu- 
merable large  trees  felled  down  the  steep  hillside  with  branches  sharpened 
to  a  point.  On  the  22nd  another  charge  was  made,  which  resulted  like 
the  first. 

Several  days  after  this  last  charge,  a  truce  was  declared  to  bury  the 
dead.  They  had  laid  long  in  the  hot  sun,  and  were  all  swollen  and  black 
as  negroes,  and  so  decomposed  that  they  would  not  bear  removal  and  were 
covered  where  they  lay. 

Afcjr  this  we  settled  down  to  a  regular  siege  of  digging,  sapping  and 
mining,  occasionally  giving  them  a  taste  of  our  artillery  all  along  the  line. 
We  manned,  besides  our  own  guns,  three  30-lb.  Parrott  guns  with  which 
we  did  some  good  work,  notably  in  the  rear  of  Fort  Hill,  when  Gen.  Logan 
blew  it  up.  Here  the  rebels  had  massed  their  troops  to  rt  pel  Logan,  who 
was  fiercely  struggling  to  enter  the  breach,  we  kept  landing  30-lb.  shells 
among  them  till  dark,  commencing  about  4  o'clock.  The  siege  lasted  until 
July  4,  1863,  when  Vicksburg  surrendered  with  33,000  troops. 

Immediately  after  the  surrender,  before  the  guard  was  placed,  our 
boys  were  over  the  works,  and  had  a  chance  to  circulate  among  the  pris- 
oners, even  down  to  the  rebel  headquarters  in  the  city,  and  the  batteries 
on  the  river  front.  The  prisoners  were  in  a  wretched  state  for  food  and 
clothing,  as  were  the  citizens,  women  and  children.  They  were  living  in 
caves  dug  into  the  street,  embankments  and  elsewhere. 

The  Battery  Glee  Club  had  some  interesting  and  amusing  experiences 
during  the  siege,  and  by  their  singing,  engendered  a  friendly  feeling  in 
the  hearts  of  the  "Johnny  Rebs." 

Whenever  firing  ceased  our  boys  would  crawl  up  on  the  works  on  our 
side,  and  the  rebels  would  do  the  same,  and  there  our  boys  sang  and  talked 
with  the  enemy.  When  the  time  came  to  obey  an  order  for  action,  our 


64  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1863) 

boys  would  yell  out,  ''down,  rebs,"  and  they  would  yell  back,  "down, 
Yanks."  Hero  George  "Whittier  was  killed  by  a  sharpshooter.  He  was 
washing  his  hands  in  a  stooping  posture  behind  the  works.  Getting  some 
soap  in  his  eyes,  he  called  for  a  towel  and  holding  out  his  hands,  he  raised 
himself  a  little  too  high  and  a  rebel  bullet  went  through  his  heart.  Charley 
Arnold  cut  his  name  upon  the  board  that  marked  his  resting  place,  which 
like  service  he  did  for  many  of  the  other  boys.  Billy  Kirk  died  at  this 
point,  it  was  thought,  chiefly  from  the  fear  of  death,  of  which  he  had  a 
presentiment. 

On  the  morning  of  July  5,  our  Division  was  ordered  to  march  to 
Jackson,  the  Capital,  where  Joe  Johnston  was  entrenched.  This  was  in 
many  respects  the  worst  march  the  Battery  ever  took,  and  fairly  eclipsed 
the  famous  "Galloway  March."  The  road  was  about  six  inches  deep  with 
line  dry  dust,  and  men  and  horses  were  of  the  same  color  as  the  ground. 
The  weather  was  hot  and  dry.  We  were  in  the  rear  of  the  Division,  and 
the  cisterns  were  all  drained  dry  when  we  came  along.  But  we  survived 
the  trip  and  went  into  earthworks,  which  we  built  ourselves  by  sinking 
our  guns  into  a  pit,  and  throwing  the  dirt  in  front  of  a  breastwork,  mak- 
ing an  embrasure  of  cotton  bales.  These  were  the  safest  works  we  ever 
occupied,  as  being  low  down,  the  rebels  invariably  shot  over  us. 

We  besieged  the  city  from  the  10th  to  the  17th  of  July,  when  it  was 
evacuated.  While  in  camp  here  for  a  few  days,  eight  of  onr  men,  Harry 
Young,  Ed.  Hughes,  John  Clark,  Clarence  Church,  Sam  Fandish,  William 
Fitch,  Fred.  Kantzler  and  A.  P.  Maddock,  were  taken  prisoners,  and  were 
held  in  captivity  sixteen  months,  and  Sergeant  Wilber  J.  Wilcox  was 
killed  while  foraging  for  corn  for  our  horses. 

The  story  of  the  sixteen  months  of  imprisonment  which  followed  the 
capture  of  thet-e  men,  is  told  by  one  of  the  survivors,  William  H.  Young. 
It  is  in  such  simple,  earnest  language  that  its  truthfulness  is  indelibly  im- 
pressed upon  the  mind  of  the  reader,  and  the  wonder  is  that  any  human 
beings  could  have  endured  what  they  did  and  be  alive  and  comparatively 
robust  and  healthy,  to  tell  the  story,  thirty-six  years  afterward.  The  nar- 
rative is  best  told  in  his  own  graphic  words,  and  is  in  full  as  follows  : 
"HELD  BY  THE  ENEMY."  1863—1864. 

"After  the  second  battle  of  Jackson,  Mississippi,  in  July,  1803,  Lieut. 
Rumsey  being  in  command  of  the  Battery,  finding  that  forage  for  our 


(1863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  65 

horses  was  getting  scarce,  called  for  a  rolunteer  detail  to  go  out  and  procure 
such  forage  as  they  could  find.  The  volunteers  from  the  Battery  num- 
bered fourteen  men. 

Sergt.  Wilbur  J.  Wilcox,  Sergt.  Ed.  Clark,  John  Sleele,  Clarence 
Church,  Ed.  Hughes,  John  Clark,  Samuel  Fandish,  Wm.  Fitch,  A.  P. 
Maddock,  Walter  Phillips,  Pitt  Follansbee,  W.  H.  Young,  Fred.  Kantzler 
and  Jerome  Briggs  volunteered.  We  were  furnished  with  a  detail  of  in- 
fantry from  the  127th  Illinois  volunteers  of  twenty-six  men,  which  made 
our  force  forty  men.  We  left  camp  about  9  o'clock  A.  M.,  on  the  22nd  day 
of  July. 

Crossing  the  Pearl  River,  we  traveled  about  six  miles  toward  the 
enemy,  and  two  miles  within  their  lines.  Nothing  of  note  happened  on 
our  way  out.  After  loading  our  wagons  with  such  forage  as  we  could  find, 
the  boys  turned  their  attention  to  their  own  comforts,  looking  for  such  good 
things  as  they  could  find  to  satisfy  their  hunger.  On  our  way  out  we 
noticed  that  a  man  on  horseback  would  appear  in  the  middle  of  the  road 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead  of  us,  and  wait  until  we  got  within  a  reas- 
onable distance  of  him,  then  disappear.  He  did  this  several  times. 
We  did  not  think  much  of  it  at  the  time  ;  but  learned  later  that  he  was  a 
Confederate  scout,  sent  out  to  watch  us.  We  started  on  our  return,  all 
feeling  happy.  On  our  way  back  to  camp  we  captured  the  scout  that  had 
watched  us  while  going  out.  He  told  us  we  would  have  to  fight  before  we 
got  through  ;  and  his  words  came  true  very  soon.  We  had  traveled  about 
three  miles  toward  camp,  and  in  passing  through  a  deep  cut  in  the  road, 
without  warning,  we  were  fired  on  by  a  squadron  of  cavalry  in  ambush. 
We  saw  at  once  that  it  was  every  man  for  himself.  True,  we  made  a  short 
fight,  but  soon  saw  that  they  were  too  strong  for  us.. 

Our  loss  on  that  day  was  Sergeant  Wilcox  killed,  A.  P.  Maddock 
wounded,  and  eight  of  the  squad  captured.  I  well  remember  the  man  who 
took  me  in.  When  he  rode  up  to  me,  with  sword  raised  over  my  head,  I 
thought  he  was  the  biggest  man  I  ever  saw.  He  looked  to  me  to  be  about 
fifteen  feet  tall.  He  asked  me  where  the  rest  of  the  Yankees  were.  Of 
course,  I  could  not  tell  him.  After  questioning  me  awhile,  he  said, ''Well, 
get  up  there  with  the  rest  of  the  prisoners,"  and  I  immediately  "got."  We 
realized  then  that  we  were  prisoners,  but  felt  thankful  that  it  was  no  worse. 
Plow  strange  it  sounded  at  that  time.  Little  did  we  know  or  realize 
what  was  before  us,  and,  perhaps,  it  was  better  for  us  that  we  did  not.  We 
soon  learned  that  our  captors  were  a  part  of  Jackson's  Tennessee  cavalry,, 
numbering  about  250  men.  We  were  soon  started  on  our  march,  whither 
we  did  not  know.  My  first  experience  as  a  prisoner  was  marching  on  a 
road  of  red  clay  soil  shortly  after  a  rain  shower.  That  was  a  slipperv 
time,  especially  in  going  up  hill.  We  traveled  all  that  afternoon,  passing 


66  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  *A?>  (1863) 

through  the  rear  of  Hardee's  army.  Our  inarch  continued  until  about 
dark.  That  night  we  were  put  in  a  building  that  had  been  used  as  a  cot- 
ton  warehouse,  where  we  rested  very  comfortably.  As  there  was  still  some 
cotton  left  in  the  building,  our  beds,  if  not  first-class,  were  soft  and  com- 
fortable. 

The  next  morning,  about  daylight,  we  were  awakened  by  a  humorous 
Confederate  soldier,  who,  having  gathered  an  armful  of  green  corn  from  a 
field  close  by,  opened  the  door  of  our  prison,  and  throwing  the  corn  in 
among  us  called  out,  "Breakfast."  We  did  not  relish  the  bill  of  fare  at  that 
time,  but  later  on  that  same  corn  would  have  been  considered  a  luxury  and 
appreciated  beyond  price.  We  were  marched  all  the  next  day,  and  at  night 
we  reached  a  small  station  on  the  railroad.  There  we  remained  about  two 
days,  where  our  number  was  increased  by  other  prisoners  coming  in.  We 
were  soon  forwarded  to  Mobile,  Alabama,  and  remained  there  about  two 
days.  Then  we  were  taken  up  the  river.  Our  next  stopping  place  was  Mont- 
gomery, Alabama.  From  there  our  journey  to  Richmond  commenced.  Not 
knowing  that  the  exchange  of  prisoners  had  been  stopped,  we  were  led  by 
our  guards  to  believe  that  we  were  going  right  through  to  be  exchanged. 
Their  object  was  to  handle  us  with  the  least  possible  trouble  to  themselves. 
Our  next  stopping  place  was  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  our  journey  so  far  had  been 
a  picnic.  Our  stay  in  Atlanta  was  short.  Soon  we  were  on  the  move  for 
Richmond  where  we  were  doomed  to  pass  many  weary  days.  We  reached 
Richmond  about  the  first  of  August.  After  spending  one  night  in  the 
city,  with  many  other  prisoners,  we  were  marched  to  Belle  Island,  a  small 
island  in  the  James  river,  just  above  the  city. 

Our  prison  on  the  island  was  a  bank  of  earth  in  the  form  of  a  square, 
covered  with  old  cast-off  tents  that  the  Confederates  had  no  further  use  for. 
Then  we  realized  that  we  were  in  for  it,  and  the  next  thing  to  do,  was  to 
make  the  best  of  it.  Now  we  realized  what  hunger  was.  We  were  formed 
into  squads  of  hundreds  ;  our  rations  for  each  squad  of  100,  for  breakfast, 
(any  time  from  daylight  to  noon)  consisted  of  12  pounds  of  meat,  mostly 
bone,  and  25  small  loaves  of  bread.  Just  think  it — \  an  ounce  of  meat, 
with  a  piece  of  bread  not  much  larger,  for  a  hungry  man's  breakfast.  Sup- 
per, (any  time  from  noon  until  dark),  £  pint  of  dirty  soup,  with  a  small 
piece  of  bread.  Such  was  our  rations  day  after  day — always  hungry  and 
no  relief. 

Thus  we  existed  in  that  prison  through  a  severe  winter,  without  proper 
shelter,  or  sufficient  clothing  to  protect  us  from  the  cold.  Our  little  squad 
was  fortunate  enough  to  get  in  a  tent  together.  I  think  we  managed  to 
get  two  old  blankets,  and  that  was  all  we  had  to  protect  us.  One  we  used 
for  our  bed,  the  other  to  cover  us.  Imagine  seven  men  trying  to  sleep  under 
one  blanket !  It  reminded  me  of  a  minstrel  show,  where  the  end  men  fur- 


(1863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  67 

nished  most  of  the  amusement.  I  know  that  ours  were  kept  busy  trying 
to  keep  under  cover.  During  the  daytime  our  time  was  occupied  in  watch- 
ing when  our  next  meal  would  come  in,  for  we  were  just  as  hungry  when 
through  our  last  meal  as  we  were  before  getting  it. 

Thus  we  passed  the  winter,  until  the  month  of  March.  About  that 
time  one  of  our  squad,  Fitch,  was  fortunate  enough  to  get  out  in  the  cook 
house,  where  our  meat  and  soup  was  cooked,  and  let  me  say  to  you,  and  to 
his  credit,  that  he  did  not  forget  his  comrades  in  the  prison.  He  could  not 
do  much,  but  what  he  did  do  for  us  kept  us  from  suffering  from  hunger  as 
we  had  done  in  the  past.  He  was  a  noble  fellow,  and  true  comrade. 

In  the  course  of  time  our  squads  would  get  reduced  to  uneven  num- 
bers, and,  in  order  to  keep  us  in  squads  of  hundreds,  they  would  turn  us  out 
of  the  prison  and  count  us  off  into  new  squads.  That  was  what  we  called 
"counting  us  with  a  club."  The  rebel  officer  would  stand  with  a  club  in 
his  hand,  and,  when  100  men  were  told  off,  he  would  make  a  sign  with  his 
club  for  the  rest  to  stop  until  that  hundred  was  put  in  charge  of  a  Yankee 
Sergeant  and  moved  into  the  prison.  Every  one  knows  how  men  will  act 
who  are  cold  and  hungry  and  anxious  to  get  back  under  shelter.  They 
would  try  to  crowd  out,  and  get  unruly.  Then  that  kind-hearted  officer 
would  walk  up  to  the  weak  and  starved  prisoners  and  knock  them  right 
and  left.  That  is  what  we  called  "counting  us  with  a  club." 

Thus  we  passed  the  time  until  the  22nd  of  February.  On  that  day 
we  were  taken  to  the  city  and  kept  until  midnight.  At  that  hour  of  the 
night  we  were  inarched  to  the  railroad  and  put  in  box  cars.  We  had  no 
idea  where  we  were  going,  some  supposing  it  was  to  be  exchanged.  We 
soon  learned  that  our  destination  was  south,  but  we  thought  that  any  place 
would  be  better  than  the  island.  Each  car  was  loaded  to  its  utmost  ca- 
pacity. Our  journey  from  Richmond  to  Andersonville  was  eight  days,  and 
in  that  time  we  were  permitted  to  get  out  of  the  cars  one  half  day,  and  we 
fully  appreciated  the  kindness  of  our  escort  in  allowing  us  even  that  short 
time  to  stretch.  Again  we  were  put  in  our  "side  door  Pullman  sleepers," 
continuing  our  journey  four  days  longer.  We  arrived  at  Andersonville 
about  the  1st  of  March.  We  were  again  formed  into  squads  of  ninety  men, 
when  we  were  marched  into  the  prison  and  turned  adrift  to  shift  for  our- 
selves. There  was  no  shelter  prepared  for  us ;  nothing  but  the  open  air 
and  hard  ground.  Our  little  squad,  now  being  reduced  to  five,  was  fortunate 
enough  to  procure  some  extra  blankets,  and,  by  forming  a  partnership  with 
new  acquaintances,  we  soon  had  a  fairly  good  shelter. 

Andersonville  was  an  open  air  prison  of  about  twenty  acres,  surrounded  by 
a  stockade  of  square  timbers,  in  height  about  twenty  feet  above  ground,  form- 
ing a  solid  wall  around  the  prison.  At  intervals  of  about  300  feet  watch 
towers  were  placed,  so  the  guard  could  look  down  in  the  prison  and  watch 


68  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1863) 

the  Yankees.  Within  the  prison,  about  thirty  feet  from  the  stockade,  was  a 
railing  placed  upon  2x3  scantling  posts.  That  was  Dead  Line,  and,  woe 
to  the  one  that  ventured  beyond  its  limits,  or  even  placed  his  hand  on  it. 
It  was  sure  death.  No  warning  to  keep  away,  but  tired  upon  at  once. 
Many  men  were  killed  by  approaching  too  close  to  the  dreaded  "dead  line." 
As  the  time  passed,  and  other  prisoners  coming  in,  our  prison  soon  became 
crowded,  and  our  sufferings  increased.  Our  squad  was  now  reduced  to  four. 
Fitch,  Clark  and  Maddock  being  exchanged  from  Richmond,  and  Fandish 
passing  away  in  the  prison,  leaving  Kantzler,  Church,  Hughes  and  Young 
to  continue  the  struggle. 

After  bein^  in  the  prison  quite  awhile,  and  seeing  our  condition  grow- 
ing worse  each  day,  and  no  hope  of  relief,  we  noticed  that  Capt.  Wurtz, 
the  commander  of  the  interior  of  the  prison,  was  a  German,  and,  we  hav- 
ing a  shrewed  little  German  with  us  in  the  person  of  comrade  Kantzler, 
we  thought  it  would  be  to  our  interest  to  have  our  German  interview  the 
other  German  in  the  houes  of  bettering  our  condition.  We  learned  that 
they  had  established  a  hospital  outside  of  the  prison,  as  the  sickness  had 
increased  so  fast  they  could  not  care  for  them  within  the  walls.  The  result 
of  Kantzler's  interview  was  that  in  a  few  days  he  was  called  out  to  the 
hospital,  and  his  promise  in  parting  with  us  was,  if  in  his  power  he  would 
have  the  rest  of  us  with  him  soon,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  in  a  few  daj^s 
Church  and  myself  were  sent  for,  soon  to  be  followed  by  Hughes.  Kantz- 
ler was  given  a  place  as  cook,  while  Church  and  myself  were  detailed  as 
undertakers,  that  is,  we  removed  the  dead  from  the  hospital  to  what  was 
known  as  the  "dead  house,"  a  house  built  of  brush  to  keep  off  the  sun  and 
rain  from  the  dead.  True,  we  had  plenty  of  business,  but  there  was  not 
much  money  in  it,  barely  a  living,  and  a  poor  one  at  that.  Hughes  was 
detailed  as  nurse  in  the  hospital ;  so  we  were  all  together  again,  our  con- 
dition was  vastly  improved.  We  were  put  on  parole  not  to  try  to  escape. 
We  saw  so  many  that  had  tried  it  and  were  brought  back,  that  we  knew 
our  condition  would  be  made  very  severe  if  we  tried  it  and  were  recaptured^ 
and  let  me  say  that  we  owe  to  comrade  Kantzler  a  debt  of  gratitude  that 
can  never  be  paid  for  his  success  in  getting  us  removed  from  that  living 
death.  I  feel,  and  my  comrades  will  bear  me  out  in  it,  our  condition  being 
such  from  long  confinement  on  the  island,  that  we  would  have  been  unable 
to  stand  the  hardships  within  the  prison,  and  the  last  one  of  us  would  have 
filled  an  unkown  grave. 

So,  my  comrades  of  Battery  "A"  owe  it  to  comrade  Kantzler  that  we  are 
able  to  be  with  you  and  tell  the  story  of  our  prison  experience.  We  began  to 
feel  like  .new  men;  our  work  was  not  much  of  a  tax  on  us,  and  we  had 
plenty  of  time  to  attend  to  our  laundry  and  keep  our  persons  somewhat 
clean.  We  were  fortunate  in  keeping  in  good  health  up  to  that  time^ 


<i863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  69 

which  was  much  in  our  favor  and  helped  to  carry  us  through.  We  were 
always  cheerful,  and  I  fail  to  recall  a  single  instance  where  an  unkind 
word  passed  between  us,  or  a  dishonest  act  by  any  one  of  us,  toward  each 
other.  There  seemed  to  be  a  bond  of  friendship  that  could  not  be  broken. 
We  were  as  one;  no  ill  feeling  even  entered  our  little  squad,  and  the  bond 
of  friendship  that  was  formed  in  those  dark  days,  has  lasted  through  the 
thirty-six  years  that  has  passed,  and  is  as  strong  to-day,  if  not  stronger  than 
it  was  in  that  trying  time  when  no  one  knew  what  the  morrow  would  bring 
forth,  and  it  will  last  until  the  last  one  is  called  to  join  the  silent  majority. 

I  wish  to  say  a  few  words  for  the  Confederate  soldier;  of  those  who  were 
in  the  field  at  the  front,  and  stood  the  brunt  of  battle.  I  can  say,  and  my 
comrades  will  agree  with  me,  that  while  in  their  hands  we  were  treated 
with  kindness  and  civility.  For  the  home-guard  and  young  boys  that 
guarded  us  while  in  the  prisons,  I  cannot  speak  so  well  of.  They  seemed 
to  have  no  pity  or  feeling  for  us.  It  was  their  delight  to  make  our  con- 
dition as  miserable  as  possible. 

In  Andersonville  the  saying  was,  that  when  one  kills  a  Yankee  he  was 
entitled  to  a  furlough.  I  don't  know  how  true  it  was;  but  it  looked  that 
way.  They  would  kill  one  on  the  least  provocation.  As  the  summer  ad- 
vanced and  the  heat  increased,  our  dead  increased  with  it,  reaching  100  a 
day  during  the  months  of  July  and  August.  It  is  estimated  that  thirteen 
thousand  prisoners  perished  there  in  the  first  six  months,  all  buried  in  un- 
known graves.  Who  was  to  blame  for  that  awful  sacrifice  of  human  lives 
it  is  not  for  us  to  say.  I  always  thought  while  the  Confederates  might  not 
have  been  able  to  give  us  "Yankee"  rations,  they  could  have  given  us 
enough  of  what  they  did  have,  and  prepared  in  proper  shape.  Our  rations 
at  Andersonville  consisted  of  a  small  amount  of  meat,  and  corn  meal  of 
the  coarsest  kind,  about  half  baked,  unfit  for  healthy  and  strong  men.  That 
was  the  food  until  the  prison  became  so  crowded,  and  they  could  not  bake 
enough  to  supply  the  prisoners.  After  that  time  they  did  not  trouble 
themselves  to  bake  it,  but  made  it  into  mush.  Then  they  would  load  a 
wagon,  similar  to  one  putting  in  a  load  of  coal,  drive  into  the  prison  and 
shovel  out  to  each  squad  so  much  mush  for  a  day's  rations.  The  sanitary 
condition  of  the  prison  was  beyond  description. 

During  the  months  of  July  and  August  there  were  confined  within  the 
stockade  about  30,000  wretched  human  beings,  about  1,500  to  the  acre. 
So  we  passed  the  Summer  of  1864.  About  the  first  of  September  a  report 
reached  the  Confederates  that  Gen.  Sherman  was  coming  that  way  that 
caused  them  to  move  the  greater  part  of  the  prisoners  to  different  points 
further  South.  We  were  again  put  in  our  "Pullman  cars"  and  started  for 
the  South.  Our  destination  proved  to  be  Savannah,  Ga.  Our  condition 
was  much  improved  while  in  our  last  prison  as  there  were  not  so  many  of 


70  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1863) 

us,  we  had  plenty  of  room,  and  our  food  was  somewhat  better.  Nothing 
of  note  happened  in  our  last  prison  home,  only  our  long  and  weary  wait  for 
the  time  of  our  exchange.  We  remained  in  Savannah  about  four  months, 
until  the  16th  day  of  November  1864.  Our  time  with  the  confederates  was 
from  July  22nd,  1863  until  November  16th,  1864,  about  one  year  and  four 
months.  At  last  we  were  told  to  get  ready  for  exchange.  I  did  not  put 
much  faith  in  it,  and  would  not  believe  it  until  I  was  safely  on  our  own 
transports.  You  can  imagine  how  anxious  I  was  to  get  away,  so  much  in 
a  hurry  that  I  was  the  third  man  that  passed  over  to  our  transports,  and  in 
language  more  expressive  than  polite,  I  called  back  to  that  Confederate 
guard  that  they  could  all  go  to  the  warm  place — they  would  never  get  me 
again. 

Thus,  comrades  of  Battery  "A,"  I  have  tried  to  give  you  a  short  his- 
tory of  your  comrades  while  in  the  different  prisons  of  the  South,  that  the 
children  and  grand-children  of  the  members  of  Old  Battery  "A"  may 
know  what  the  young  men  of  1861  underwent,  that  they  might  have  one 
flag  and  one  country.  Yours  fraternally, 

WILLIAM  H.  YOUNG. 

An  exciting  episode  occurred  during  the  siege  of  Jackson,  Mississippi, 
in  which  Capt.  Wood  received  a  slight  wound,  and  he  and  the  entire  gun 
squad,  under  gunner  G.  M.  Brown,  narrowly  escaped  annihilation.  We 
were  posted  in  the  front  yard  or  park  of  Col.  Wirt  Addams,  a  rebel  guerilla. 
Pits  for  each  gun  were  sunk  about  twelve  feet  square  and  three  and  a  half  feet 
deep,  with  boards  set  up  in  front  two  feet  high,  and  the  earth  from  the  pits 
thrown  back  of  the  boards,  making  a  good  earth-work  in  front  of  the  guns, 
nearly  six  feet  high,  with  a  narrow  embrasure.  We  were  facing  a  rebel 
battery  from  New  Orleans,  with  six  ten  pound  rifled  guns,  and  one  sixty- 
four  pound  Colnmbiad  behind  heavy  earthworks.  The  rebel  small  guns 
were  spiteful  shooters.  One  afternoon  Capt.  Wood  was  in  our  pit  and  we 
were  standing  around  a  little  careless,  and  evidently  the  rebels  got  a  glimpse 
of  the  tops  of  our  heads.  John  Clark  was  behind  an  oak  tree  nearby, 
watching  for  shots — we  always  kept  our  man  on  watch — when  suddenly  he 
called,  "down,"  and  a  shot  came  direct  for  us  and  struck  our  little  earth- 
work four  feet  to  the  right  and  ten  feet  in  front  of  our  embrasure,  and  lifted 
dirt  all  over  us.  Gunner,  G.  M.  Brown,  called  to  "load,"  but  before  we 
could  get  ready,  Clark  called  "down"  again,  and  another  shot  struck  about 
fifteen  feet  nearly  in  our  front,  and  before  we  could  run  our  gun  out,  another 


(1863)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  71 

shot  came  and  struck  the  cotton  bales.  "Fatty"  Stewart  had  to  protect  our 
ammunition  and  himself;  he  was  No.  5,  cutting  fuse.  That  shot  made 
havoc  of  one  bale  of  cotton  and  of  Stewart's  shanty,  and  blinded  him — 
well,  with  cotton.  All  this  time  Capt.  Wood  was  standing,  his  back  against 
the  boards  that  held  the  dirt  in  front,  watching  the  excitement.  When  the 
fourth  shot  came  and  struck  four  test  to  the  left  and  six  feet  in  front  of  our 
embrasure,  in  a  direct  line  for  Capt.  Wood,  and  exploded,  one  piece  of  the 
shell,  weighing  nearly  four  pounds,  plowed  its  way  through  the  earth  six 
feet  and  through  an  inch  board,  and  through  the  sleeve  of  Capt.  Wood's 
blouse  and  stopped  there,  and  bruised  and  numbed  the  Captain's  arm  a  little. 
He  caught  hold  of  the  iron  in  his  sleeve  and  thought  it  the  bones  of  his 
broken  arm,  and  started  for  the  surgeon's  quarters  in  the  house,  saying, 
"My  arm  is  off."  Just  then  we  got  the  ten  pound  Parrott  loaded  and  run 
it  out,  and  gunner  Brown  sent  a  shot  square  into  the  embrasure  of  the  gun 
shooting  at  us,  and  we  heard  no  more  from  them  that  day.  We  afterward 
weighed  the  piece  of  shell.  The  arm  was  black  and  blue,  and  lame  for 
some  time,  which  was  Capt.  Wood's  only  injury. 

From  Jackson  we  marched  back  to  the  Big  Black,  where  we  went  into 
summer  quarters  in  a  magnificent  grove,  remaining  until  September  27. 
We  were  then  ordered  to  Chattanooga,  going  by  boat  to  Memphis,  and 
horses  on  foot  and  guns  on  cars  from  there  to  Corinth,  from  which  place 
we  began  our  march,  passing  through  luka,  Tuscumbia,  Eastport,  Elkton, 
Winchester,  Deckherd  and  the  Narrows,  between  Bridgeport  and  Chatta- 
nooga. We  crossed  the  Tennessee  river  twice  and  brought  up  on  its  north 
bank  near  the  mouth  of  Chickamauga  Creek. 

On  the  24th  of  November  our  corps  was  formed  for  an  advance  in  the 
afternoon,  and  occupied  a  spur  of  Missionary  Ridge,  without  firing  a  shot. 
We  entrenched  for  the  night,  and  were  settling  ourselves  nicely,  when  a 
rebel  brigade  came  marching  back  to  their  camp,  which  we  were  occupying 
without  their  knowledge  or  consent. 

Lieut.  Rumsey,  with  our  right  section,  had  gone  out  on  picket  with 
the  infantry,  and  met  them  ;  and,  of  course,  there  was  a  fight.  Here  John 
Steele  was  wounded  in  the  shin. 

The  next  day  our  corps  attacked  the  enemy's  right  flank  and  pressed 
it  vigorously  all  day.  At  about  4  o'clock  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland 
made  a  charge  in  the  center  and  swept  everything  before  them.  Hooker 


72  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  ''A"  (1864) 

had  taken   Lookout  Mountain,  driving  Bragg  from  his  fortifications.     We 
followed  him  until  he  took  refuge  at  Dalton,  Georgia. 

Then  we  came  back  and  went  into  camp  near  Chattanooga,  leaving 
which  we  took  the  back  track  through  the  .Narrows  again,  which  was  liter- 
ally paved  with  dead  mules.  We  went  over  the  mountains,  some  days  not 
making  more  than  three  miles.  We  would  hitch  twenty  horses  to  a  gun, 
and  drag  it  over  the  mountain,  and  then  go  back  and  get  the  caisson.  This 
was  because  our  horses  were  so  nearly  starved  they  could  scarcely  stand  up. 

In  the  assault  that  ended  in  the  defeat  and  retreat  of  Bragg,  our  boys  oc- 
cupied a  position  from  which  they  had  the  best  view  of  a  battle  of  any  they 
were  ever  engaged  in.  From  the  eminence  on  which  they  were  posted,  they 
could  see  away  off  to  the  right  across  the  Tennessee  river,  Gen.  Thomas' 
assaulting  columns  moving  upon  the  ridge.  Following  this  battle  of  Mis- 
sionery  Ridge  and  Lookout  Mountain,  we  were  moved  to  Bellfont,  Ala., 
which  place  we  reached  about  Christmas  (1863)  where  we  remained  about 
a  week.  Here  we  experienced  some  of  the  coldest  weather  we  had  in  our 
whole  army  service.  Pools  of  water  frooze  over  hard  enough  to  hold  up 
our  mule  team  and  wagon.  On  the  1st  of  January  1864:  we  went  into  camp 
near  Larkinsville,  Ala.,  reaching  there  at  12:30  A.  M.  It  was  bitterly  cold 
and  none  of  the  boys  were  out  to  roll  call  in  the  morning.  Here  John 
Connell  and  the  blacksmith  made  a  couple  of  pairs  of  skates  on  the  3d  and 
utilized  them  two  or  three  days,  on  a  small  pond  near  the  camp,  which  was 
a  revelation  to  the  natives  in  that  locality.  We  settled  down  to  spend  the 
winter  in  Larkinsville,  and  make  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  possible. 
Good  quarters  were  made  in  log  houses  and  warm  stables  built  for  our 
horses.  During  the  winter  a  great  mania  for  whittling  in  Laurel  root 
broke  out  in  camp,  and  many  an  hour  was  spent  in  that  occupation.  Many 
curious,  ingenious  and  quite  artistic  articles  were  produced  by  the  boys  in 
their  leisure  hours.  One  of  particular  merit  was  a  big  pipe  made  by  John 
Connell,  which  he  still  has.  It  is  a  real  work  of  art,  and  has  taken  first 
premium  at  several  fairs,  where  he  has  entered  it  for  specimen  of  wood 
carving.  Another  interesting  relic  of  the  camp  at  Larkinsville,  which 
shows  how  the  boys  occupied  their  leisure  time  and  amused  themselves,  is 
in  the  possession  of  C.  B.  Kimbell.  It  is  a  minature  30-lb.  Parrott  gun, 
two  inches  long,  made  of  Laurel  root  and  cut  to  form  a  watch  fob. 
It  was  the  work  of  A.  Y.  Pitts,  who  was  a  genius  and  an  artist  in  that  line 


^^ 


\st 


Tne  Ascent 


On  Top  d*  Uasl 


Fred  cm  by  Guerillas  !f 


7 


When  he  reach 
es  cornP  he -finds 
one  piece  of. 


Laural  ivJiick  he  had  put  in  his pocket  pre- 
V'ouszoihe  dttdCK<and  he  begins  io  VA/ditHe 


f\nd  makes  tke  qun  wK'ickiS  sent  to 


76  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1864) 

and  was  sent  by  him  to  his  old  chum  and  comrade,  who  was  home  on  ac- 
count of  his  wound.  Accompanying  the  gun  was  a  series  of  illustrated 
sketches  made  by  Fred  S.  Church,  showing  the  history  of  the  gun,  from  the 
time  Pitts  started  out  from  the  camp  in  the  morning  in  search  of  Laurel 
root,  until  his  arrival  in  camp  and  and  the  successful  completion  of  his  work. 
The  sketches  indicate  the  strong  natural  artistic  talent  which  Church  then 
possessed  and  which  afterwards  developed,  placing  him  in  the  front  rank 
among  the  artists  of  this  country. 

The  pleasantest  winter  of  our  whole  army  service  was  spent  here. 
After  the  first  cold  spell  the  weather,  was  warm  and  dry.  The  boys  amused 
themselves  nearly  every  day,  playing  base  ball  and  other  games.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  winter  the  famous  "Larkinsville  Theatre  Co."  was  organ- 
ized which  furnished  no  end  of  amusment  and  entertainment.  The  talent 
developed,  surprised  themselves  and  all  their  friends  in  neighboring  com- 
mands. "Jimmy"  Milner  was  the  playwriter  and  president  of  the  combi- 
nation. Fred  Church  who  has  since  become  as  noted  among  the  artists  of 
the  nation,  as  he  was  among  his  comrades  during  the  war,  was  scenic  artist, 
George  Beach  was  the  "star"  and  Ed.  E.  Williams  and  S.  S.  Kimbell  im- 
personated the  female  characters  well,  if  not  to  perfection,  in  wardrobes 
borrowed  from  all  the  wives  of  officers  that  were  quartered  for  the  winter, 
in  our  division.  Charley  Smith  and  Harry  Long  immortalized  themselves 
in  various  parts,  and  Charley  Arnold  made  a  first-class  Satan,  and  as  he 
says  "played  the  very  Devil."  The  make  up  of  Satan  was  particularly 
original  and  effective,  and  once  seen  could  never  be  forgotten.  The  mask 
and  tail  he  wore  were  of  his  own  manufacture  in  camp.  The  tail  was  made 
by  winding  binding  cotton  around  a  crooked  stick  and  covering  it  with  a 
piece  of  rubber  poncho,  and  the  mask  of  another  piece  of  a  poncho,  cutting 
holes  for  the  eyes,  nose  and  mouth,  and  surrounding  them  with  white  cloth, 
making  a  hideous  enough  object  to  answer  all  ordinary  purposes.  But 
Bartleson  and  Arnold  conceived  the  idea  of  making  a  more  hideous  mask 
by  moulding  a  horrible  face  in  clay,  baking  it  in  a  Dutch  oven  and  mould- 
ing a  piece  of  pasteboard  box  over  that.  They  worked  diligently  all  one 
afternoon  and  succeeded  in  producing  the  most  devilish  face  ever  seen. 
They  put  the  mould  to  bake  in  one  of  the  darkey  cook's  Dutch  ovens,  after 
he  had  gone  out  for  the  evening.  On  his  return  sometime  in  the  night  he 
noticed  a  fire  in  his  oven  and  looked  in  to  see  what  was  going  on,  and  see- 


lOv 


ED.  E.  WILLIAMS, 

'Leading  Lady"  Larkinsville  Theatre  Co. 
1864. 


78  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1864) 

ing  the  horrible  image  within,  uttering  a  screech  like  a  Comanche  Indian, 
he  ran  as  if  for  his  life,  yelling,  "its  de  debble  sure."  The  fame  of  the 
Troup  spread  throughout  the  entire  division. 

Gen.  Logan  and  Staff  came  from  Huntsville  to  witness  a  performance. 
Gen.  Sherman  was  a  frequent  spectator,  and  Gen.  Morgan  L.  Smith  a  con- 
stant one.  He  invited  all  the  perfomers  to  his  headquarters  one  afternoon 
previous  to  a  performance,  where  he  undertook  the  task  of  "Stalling  the 
Battery  boys,"  as  he  afterward  expressed  it,  and  getting  them  in  such  a 
condition  that  they  could  not  perform,  but  their  heads  were  too  level  to  be 
caught,  and  the  beet  performance  they  ever  rendered,  followed,  and  the 
General  acknowledged  his  defeat. 

The  following  play  bill  will  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  entertainments  pro- 
duced, and  talent  diplayed  : 

BATTERY  THEATRE,  COMPANY  "A,"  C.  L.  A., 

LARKINSVILLE,   ALA. 

President J.  W.  Milner. 

Treasurer . . .  C.  E.  Smith. 

Manager L.  H.  Beach. 

Musical  Director S.  Kennedy. 

Scenic  Artist F.  S.  Church. 

Stage  Carpenter Speer,  Chase  and  Raymond. 

Properties  and  Costumes Bartleson  and  King. 

WEDNESDAY  EVENING,   APKIL  27,  1864, 
will  be  presented  the  celebrated  drama, 

A  MOMENTOUS  QUESTION. 

Robert  Shelly  (a  young  poacher) E.  A.  Ware. 

James  Greenfield  (a  game  keeper) G.  B.  Beach 

Union  Jack  (scamp  of  the  Village) O.  C.  Foster. 

Chalk  (landlord  of  the  Lucky  Horse-Shoe) J.  B.  Day. 

Moletrap . T.  Thompson. 

Rachel  Rayland E.  E.  Williams 

Fanny  Dossett  (a  servant) A.  Wilson. 

Overture by  Orchestra.  |  Song ....  by ....  Glee  Club. 


(1864)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  -'A."  79 

The  evening's  entertainment  will  conclude  with 
COOL  AS  A  CUCUMBER. 

Plumper G.  B.  Beach. 

Old  Parkins O.  C.  Foster. 

Fred  Barkins J.  H.  Long. 

Jessey  Honiton    A.  Wilson. 

Mary  Wiggins E.  E.  Williams 

SECOND   NIGHT'S  ENTERTAINMENT. 
The  performance  will  open  with  the  elegant  drama  of 

THE  YANKEE  NEPHEW. 

Zedekiah  Hull C.  E.  Smith. 

Charles  Howard G.  B.  Beach. 

Dr.  Hawley O.  C.  Foster. 

Oldest  Inhabitant J.  B.  Day. 

Servant J.  Maloney. 

Officer R.  Greene. 

Miss  Hattie  Hawley E.  E.  Williams. 

Miss  Delia  Dayton A.  Wilson. 

The  evenings  entertainment  will  conclude  with  the  stunning  farce  of 

APOLLO  D'AFRIQUE. 

Old  Squintum O.  C.  Foster. 

Pete L.  H.  Beach. 

Rose G.  B.  Beach. 

Jake . , H.  Roborts. 

Mrs.  Squintum R.  Greene. 

Pilgarlic J.  H.  Long. 

Performance  Saturday  evening  if  weather  permits. 

THIRD    NIGHT. 
The  evening's  entertainment  will  open  with  the  celebrated  tragedy 

entitled  the 

SCOURGE 

OF 

SAN  MARINO. 

Corruvio G.  B.  Beach. 

Arrolto J.  H.  Long. 


80  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '-A"  (1864) 

Malevolus O.  C.  Foster. 

Nobleman C.  E.  Smith. 

Satan C.  L.  Arnold. 

Demon L.  H.  Beach. 

Monk J.  B.  Day. 

Dorrugio R.  Greene. 

Almina  Dornetto E.  E.  Williams. 

Robbers,  &c.,  by  gentlemen  of  the  profession  out  of  a  job. 

"SYNOPSIS." 

SCENE  IST. — Arrolto  ejected  from  his  home,  retires  to  an  old  tower  and 
sells  his  soul  to  Satan.  SCENE  2ND. — Bar-room  in  San  Marino.  Arrolto 
collects  his  band.  SCENE  SRD. — Ten  years  later — a  nobleman  enters  the 
city  and  discloses  to  Corruvio  and  others  the  name  of  the  "scourge."- 
SCENE  4xH. — Corruvio  and  Almina  parting.  SCENE  STH. — Corruvio's  com- 
bat with  Arrolto  and  his  defeat.  Grand  h'nale. 

The  evening's  entertainment  will  conclude  with  the  stunning  farce  of 
BOX  AND  COX. 
CASTE  : 

Box Harry  Roberts. 

Cox L.  H.  Beach. 

Mrs.  Bouncer J.  W.  Milner. 

Before  reaching  Larkinsville  we  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  our  "mas- 
cot," which  had  been  constantly  with  us  since  we  left  Paducah.  No  well 
regulated  command  was  considered  "fully  up-to-date"  that  did  not  possess 
a  "mascot,"  and  up  to  this  time,  we  had  "kept  up  with  the  procession"  in 
that  respect.  The  article  consisted  of  any  live  thing,  biped  or  quadruped, 
from  a  chicken  to  a  pig,  or  little  contraband  "coon."  A  Wisconsin  regi- 
ment had  an  American  eagle,  "Old  Abe,"  wrhich  sat  proudly  perched  upon 
a  frame  over  their  banner  while  being  carried  on  all  their  marches  and 
through  all  their  engagements.  A  company  in  the  51st  Illinois  Infantry 
had  a  kitten,  but  Battery  "A's"  mascot  was  a  "thorough-bred"  mongrel  dog, 
a  cross  between-a  Scotch  terrier  and  something  else  unknown;  but  he  was  a 
dog  among  a  thousand  all  the  same.  He  came  to  us  in  Paducah  from 
some  infantry  regiment.  He  seemed  to  consider  an  artillery  man  a  su- 
perior being,  and  looked  with  perfect  disdain  on  any  infantry  man  that 


(1864)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  81 

tried  to  make  any  advances  toward  an  acquaintance.  Among  his  many  traits 
he  considered  it  his  sacred  duty  to  always  carry  something  when  on  a 
inarch.  Any  old  shoe,  bootleg,  bone  or  stick  that  he  could  pick  up  in  the 
morning,  would  be  carried  all  day  with  unfailing  regularity.  Charley 
Smith,  in  writing  to  a  brother,  in  1862,  who  was  a  minister  in  Franklin- 
ville,  111.,  told  the  story  of  our  "mascot,"  which  is  worthy  of  reproduction 
here : 

"Our  Battery  dog  is  barking  at  some  loose  horse.  That  reminds  me 
of  my  carelessness  in  not  before  describing  so  illustrious  a  character  as  that 
dog.  He  is  the  pet  of  the  B  .ttery,  known  as  well  to  the  horses  as  the  men 
and  has  been  associated  with  our  interests  over  eighteen  months.  He  owns 
no  one  as  master,  but  all.  On  the  march  he  will  follow  no  one  gun,  but 
persists  in  leading  or  going  beside  the  advance  piece.  He  has  been  in  four 
battles  and  twice  wounded,  once  at  Donelson  and  once  at  Shiloh.  At  this 
latter  fight  he  learned  caution,  and  now  at  the  sound  of  firing  he  will  hunt 
a  tree  with  as  much  zeal  as  his  biped  friends.  What  is  the  most  singular 
is  his  diet.  In  this  respect,  he  is  a  thorough  old  soldier.  While  in  camp, 
fresh  meat,  bread  and  potatoes,  too,  if  we  have  them,  are  not  too  good  for 
him.  On  the  march  he  takes  his  'hard  tack'  and  bacon,  and  not  a  man  but 
will  give  him  a  share.  If  we  are  on  short  rations  he  takes  a  meal  of  corn 
or  oats  with  some  horse.  He  has  had  as  many  names  as  the  'Old  Man  of 
the  Sea.'  his  last  has  stuck  to  him  longesf,  'Tony.'  In  personal  appearance 
he  is  not  calculated  to  impress  one  with  a  sense  of  his  faculties;  but  shaggy, 
black  mongrel  as  he  is,  he  knows  more  than  some  men,  and  fears  no  dog 
that  lives.  Although  often  worsted  in  encounters  with  superior-sized  dogs, 
he  never  leaves  the  field  in  disgrace,  but  his  tail  is  just  as  high  over  his  back 
as  ever,  and  one  could  not  help  thinking  that  the  old  fellow  feels  conscious 
that  he  has  done  his  duty.  Rights,  he  is  invaluable  at  the  grain  pile,  in 
driving  away  stray  horses,  and  has  often  been  my  companion  in  standing 
guard.  He  is  never  absent  from  'roll  cali,'  however  far  he  may  be  away, 
chasing  a  horse  or  otherwise,  the  sound  of  the  'assembly'  has  just  as  potent 
an  influence  on  him  as  on  us.  He  never  loses  us,  and  never  takes  any 
other  batcery  for  us.  In  fact,  he  is  a  'wonderful  dorg,'  and  the  1  oys  think 
the  world  of  him/' 

During  the  three  months  service,  one  of  our  boys  even  entered  the  rep- 
tile kingdom  to  obtain  one  of  these  necessary  articles.    J.  F.  Stackhouse  a 


82  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1864) 

natural  scientist  and  naturalist,  (surnamed  "Snakehouse"  for  obvious  reasons) 
captured  a  large  yellow  moccasin  which  he  tamed  and  petted  as  ordinary 
human  1  icings  would  a  kitten.  He  devoted  all  his  spare  time  to  gathering 
snakes,  lizards,  toads,  bugs,  etc.,  and  his  collection  was  a  source  of  mortal 
terror  to  all  his  messmates,  who  feared  they  would  escape  and  become  part- 
ners in  their  bunks  and  blankets.  The  Government  for  some  reason  failed 
to  appreciate  the  value  of  any  such  addition  to  an  army  outfit,  and  neglected 
to  appropriate  anything  for  its  support  and  transportation  and  the  collec- 
tion was  relegated  to  its  native  jungles  about  Cairo. 

Some  very  pleasant  acquaintances  were  made  by  the  boys  at  Larkens- 
ville  among  the  native  families,  notably  the  Baker  family  which  lived  up 
the  mountain,  and  included  several  young  ladies.  Parson  Risley  seems  to 
have  been  the  one  most  specially  favored  by  this  family,  presumably  so  on 
account  of  his  ministerial  manner  and  bearing.  He  writes  in  his  diary  of 
Saturday,  April  30th,  1864,  "I  went  to  call  on  our  friends  the  Baker  family,  to 
bid  them  good  bye.  E.  P.  Fish  wenr.  with  me  and  Lieut.  J.  W.  Rumsey  came 
up  afterwards.  He  brought  my  war  horse  'Donelgon,'  and  presented  it  to 
Miss  Martha  Baker.  Mrs.  Baker  prepared  supper  for  us,  of  spring  chicken, 
etc.  We  spent  a  delightful  afternoon  and  evening,  with  the  old  folks  and 
young  ladies."  Sunday  May  1st  we  regretfully  broke  up  and  took  leave  of 
our  pleasant  camp.  Under  this  date  the  Parson  writes,  "Mr.  Baker  came 
in  camp  to  see  us  off.  He  brought  a  bag  full  of  nice  cakes  from  the  young 
ladies  for  their  friends  in  the  Battery.  Miss  Mollie  sends  me  an  extra  lot  of 
nice  cookies,  for  which  she  has  my  sincere  thanks."  On  this  date  we  started 
off  for  Chattanooga,  on  the  Atlanta  campaign.  We  camped  at  night  within 
two  and  half  miles  of  Bellfont,  and  slept  on  the  ground,  for  the  first  time 
in  months.  Of  this  night  Parson  .Risley  writes  he  slept  well,  in  company 
with  Fish  and  John  Lord,  presumably  on  account  of  the  "Lord"  being 
with  them. 

The  next  day  (Monday)  broke  camp  at  8  o'clock.  Weather  cool  and 
roads  splendid.  Went  into  camp  at  4  o'clock  within  four  miles  of  Steven- 
son, Alabama.  As  it  looked  like  rain,  the  boys  pitched  their  V  tents  for 
the  night,  and  crawled  in  for  a  good  night's  sleep,  lulled  to  slumber  by  the 
brigade  band  playing  "Away  Down  South  in  Dixie." 

Continuing  our  march  on  the  3d,  reached  Bridgeport  late  in  the  after- 
noon, and  the  next  day,  May  4,  crossel  the  Tennessee  river  on  the  pontoon 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  liA . "  83 


bridge,  in  the  morning,  and  reached  Nickel  Jack  Cave  in  the  afternoon' 
where  we  halted  a  half  an  hour,  many  of  the  boys  bathing  their  feet  in  the 
creek  during  the  wait,  the  water  of  which  was  ice  cold.  Passing  on  we 
came  back  through  the  Narrows  and  over  the  north  end  of  Lookout  Moun- 
tain, reaching  Snake  Creek  Gap  May  9.  We  passed  through  the  Gap  pre- 
ceded by  the  Ninth  Illinois  Mounted  [Lnfantry  and  General  Kilpatrick's 
Cavalry.  The  General  was  wounded  here  and  taken  to  the  rear. 

We  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle  at  its  east  end,  looking  into  Res- 
aca, where  the  enemy  was  protected  by  earthworks.  On  the  llth  Johnson 
massed  his  forces  on  Resaca,  and  on  the  15th  we  had  a  lively  fight. 

Captain  Wood  was  taken  very  sick  here,  and  Lieut.  Rumsey  took  com- 
mand of  the  Battery.  On  the  13th  our  position  was  on  the  slope  of  a  hill. 
Two  20-pound  Parrotts,  belonging  to  the  Fourth  Ohio  Battery,  were 
above  us,  on  top  of  the  hill.  These  guns  were  firing  over  us  into  the  enemy's 
works,  which  were  in  plain  view.  At  5  o'clock  one  of  the  4th  Ohio's  shells 
burst  right  over  us.  A  fragment  of  the  shell  hit  Lieut.  Rumsey  on  his 
right  shoulder,  tearing  the  flesh  away  from  the  bone,  and  effectually  "kill- 
ing his  shoulder  strap,"  as  he  expressed  it.  He  was  taken  to  the  field 
hospital  and  P.irson  Risley  was  detailed  to  nurse  him. 

On  the  20th  a  twenty  day's  furlough  was  granted  Risley  to  go  to  Chicago 
with  Lieut.  Uumsey,  who  was  in  hospital  at  Resaca,  which  place  the  rebels 
had  evacuated,  burning  their  bridges  behind  them  in  their  flight.  We  fol- 
lowed the  rebel  army,  commanded  by  Johnson,  and  met  them  next  at  Dallas. 
They  charged  on  us  repeatedly,  but  were  each  time  repulsed  with  heavy  loss. 

O  i  the  30th  day  of  May,  1864,  while  our  Battery  was  in  breastworks 
here,  Generals  Sherman,  McPherson,  Logan,  Barry  and  Col.  Taylor  came  to 
our  breastwork  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy's  works  in  our  front.  Sherman 
went  over  by  squad  one's  gun  by  himselfV  McPherson  came  up  and  stood 
at  the  muzzle  of  No.  4  gun  and  raised  his  field  glass,  and  Logan  stood  be- 
hind him,  resting  his  left  hand  on  the  cascabel  of  the  gun.  Col.  Taylor 
stood  directly  behind  Logan's  arm.  A  sharpshooter  fired  a  bullet  under 
McPhcrson's  arm  ;  it  cut  a  gash  in  the  top  of  Logan's  arm,  and  hit  Col. 
Taylor  fairly  in  the  left  breast.  Enoch  Colby  was  one  of  the  first  to  help 
carry  the  Colonel  off ;  McPherson  loosened  his  clothes,  and  the  wound 
looked  very  serious.  Gen.  Sherman,  then  coming  back  to  where  we  had 
laid  the  Colonel  down,  asked  McPherson  if  the  wound  was  mortal.  Me- 


84  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '-A"  (1864) 

Pherson  replied  that  he  could  not  say  yet.     We  afterward  learned  that  the 
ballet  had  glanced  a  rib  and  went  around  instead  of  through. 

It  was  here  that  comrade  Stiger,  of  the  Battery,  was  severely  wounded 
by  a  sharpshooter,  while  lying  on  his  blanket,  which  bullet  would  have 
probably  hit  Colby,  but  for  his  having  changed  his  position  around  behind  a 
large  tree  about  one  minute  before,  for  he  had  been  lying  not  two  feet  from 
Stiger  and  between  him  and  the  rebel  sharpshooter. 

An  amusing  incident  occurred  in  the  hospital  tent  at  Reeaca,  in  wThich 
Lieut.  Rumsey  was  staying,  while  waiting  for  transportation  home.  He 
had  a  hard  night  and  Parson  Risley  was  sleeping  soundly  by  his  side, 
"Wanting  some  water  in  the  night,  he  called  fur  the  "Parson."  He  did  not 
waken  easily  and  John's  repeated  calls  for  the  "Parson"  aroused  the  chap 
lain  who  was  sleeping  in  the  same  tent.  He  supposed  some  poor  sufferer 
was  needing  spiritual  consolation  of  a  different  nature  from  what  Rumsey 
was  call  ing  for,  and  promptly  came  to  his  assistance.  Rumsey  was  disgusted 
and  said  "  I  don't  want  you,  I  want  this  parson  by  the  side  of  me."  It  wa& 
a  surprise  to  the  chaplain  to  find  there  was  another  parson  in  the  same  tent 
more  sinful  perhaps  than  he.  The  Parson  managed  to  arouse  enough  to  get 
on  his  feet,  and  forced  the  contents  ot  his  canteen  into  Rumsey's  face.  Hi& 
manner  of  doing  it,  brought  out  the  remark  from  Rumsey  that  he  would 
make  a  better  "wet  nurse"  than  anything  else.  The  sick  and  wounded  re- 
ceived motherly  care  here  from  Mother  Bickerdike  and  Mrs.  Porter,  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission.  They  distributed  oranges  and  lemons,  and  jellies 
among  them  with  their  own  hands,  and  received  the  warm  and  hearty 
thanks  of  the  boys,  who  greatly  appreciated  arid  enjoyed  the  treat. 

The  rebels  retreated  from  Resaca  to  Koneeaw  Mountain,  where  there  was 
fighting  at  close  intervals  from  June  10th  until  July  3d,  when  the  rebels  were 
forced  to  retreat  south  of  the  Chattahooche  river  into  the  stronghold  of  Atlanta. 

While  encamped  near  Kenesaw,  Geo.  Gates  ("Gen.  Debility")  the  sad- 
dler, presented  Gen.  Sherman  with  an  elegant  bridle,  collar  and  martingales 
of  his  own  make.  They  were  sent  with  the  following  letter,  to  which  Gen. 
Sherman  sent  an  appreciative  and  characteristic  acknowledgment. 

NEAR  KENESAW,  GA.,  June  25,  1864. 
MAJOR  GENERAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN. 

General:— As  a  private  [of  Battery  "A"  1st  111.  Light  Artillery,  I  re- 
spectfully request  that  you  will  accept  this  bridle  and  collar  as  a  slight 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  85 


token  of  the  high  regard  and  esteem  which  all  soldiers  entertain  towards 
you  as  uiir  commander.  We,  as  a  Battery,  have  long  served  under  you,  as 
Divisi  iii,  Corps  and  Department  Commander,  and  now  as  Chief  in  Com- 
mand, and  at  all  times  have  felt  confident  that  under  your  leadership  our 
final  success  would  be  achieved.  Please  accept  this  bridle  and  collar,  Gen- 
eral, made  by  me  in  camp  at  Larkinsville,  Ala.,  simply  as  a  slight  tribute 
of  regard  and  confidence  reposed  in  you. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  General,  very  respectfully 

Your  obedient  servant,  . 

GEORGE  GATES, 
Harness  maker  of  Battery  "A"  1st  111.  Lighjt  Artillery 

1st  Brigade,  2nd  Division,  15th  Army  Corps. 
To  MAJOR  GENARAL  W.  T.  SHERMAN, 

Commanding  Military  Division  of  the  Mississippi. 


HEADQUARTEKS  MILITARY  DIVISION  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI, 

IN  THE  FIELD  NEAR  KENESAW,  GA.,  June  26,  1864. 
GEOKGE  GATES, 

Company  '-A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 

Deai  Sir: — On  reaching  camp  last  evening  I  found  your  letter  of  June 
25th  with  a  handsome  bridle  with  bit  andbridoon  and  a  beautifully  stitched 
breast-strap  and  martingales,  done  by  your  hands,  in  the  leisure  hours  of 
camp.  I  assure  you  such  a  mark  of  your  affection  and  respect  is  more  ac- 
ceptable to  me  than  many  rich  jeweled  sword  or  fancy  stud  that  are  wont 
to  be  the  tokens  of  military  regard.  To  feel  that  the  soldier  at  his  post 
marks  my  constant  labor  to  his  safety  and  success,  satisfies  me  that  there 
are  those  witnesses  close  by  who  appreciate  the  truth  of  events  far  better 
than  those  in  the  back-ground,  who  judge  of  battles  by  thesound  of  popular 
clamor,  rather  than  by  witnessing  the  actual  direction  of  armies  and  the 
dread  missiles  of  war.  For  yourself  and  comrades,  be  assured  that  I  have 
watched  and  noted  your  career  with  unalloyed  satisfaction  at  Arkansas  Post 
especially,  at  all  the  movements  on  Jackson  and  into  Mississippi;  at  Vicks- 
burg  when  you  had  not  only  your  own  guns,  but  for  six  weeks  lay  close 
under  its  walls  with  the  30  pd.  Parrotts,  which  did  more  execution  than 
any  guns  at  that  memorable  siege. 

[  have  always  borne  testimony  to  the  peculiar  intelligence,  good  con- 
duct and  gentlemanly  deportment  of  the  young  men  who  compose  your 
Battery,  and  when  the  war  does  close,  if  I  survive  it,  I  will  make  it  my 
duty  to  give  full  honor  and  credit  to  the  soldiers  in  the  ranks,  who,  though 
in  humble  c  pacity,  have  been  the  working  hands  by  which  the  nation's 
honor  and  manhood  have  been  vindicated. 


86  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '-A."  (1864) 

As  Battery  "A"  was  one  of  the  first  to  fire  a  hostile  shot  in  the  war  in 
the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  I  hope  it  will  be  one  of  the  last,  and  that 
its  thunder  tones  will  in  due  time  proclaim  the  peace  resulting  from  a  \var 
wre  could  not  avoid,  but  which  called  all  true  men  from  the  fancied  security 
of  a  former  long  and  deceitful  peace. 

With  thanks  to  you  personally,  I  am  your  friend, 

W.  T.  SHERMAN, 

Major  General. 

Poor  Gates  did  not  do  well  after  the  war,  but  led  a  dissipated  life  in 
Chicago,  tfying  in  that  city,  in  1890,  a  homeless  wanderer  on  the  streets. 

It  was  about  twelve  miles  northwest  of  Atlanta,  on  July  12,  1864,  that 
Capt.  Wood,  Lieuts.  McCagg  and  Young,  with  all  of  the  three  years'  men, 
were  ordered  to  the  rear,  for  muster  out,  their  term  of  service  having  ex- 
pired. A  number  of  the  comrades  who  joined  the  Battery  in  the  early 
part  of  its  second  year,  supposing  their  term  would  expire  at  the  same 
time,  now  found  it  was  a  mistake,  and  that  they  were  obliged  to  remain  the 
full  three  years  if  wanted.  It  was  a  severe  disappointment  to  them,  more 
on  account  of  being  obliged  to  separate  from  their  old  comrades,  and  the 
sad  day  will  long  be  remembered,  especially  by  those  who  remained  behind. 

The  veterans  were  mustered  out  and  arrived  at  Chicago  in  due  time, 
and  were  given  a  grand  reception  and  banquet  at  the  Tremont  House,  by 
their  friends. 

A  number  of  the  members  of  Battery  "B"  had  an  unexpired  term  to 
serve  also,  so  the  two  Batteries  were  consolidated,  retaining  the  name  of 
Battery  "A,"  and  Lieut.  Smyth  of  Battery  "I,"  First  Artillery,  was  placed 
in  command. 

On  the  evening  of  the  12th,  the  Battery  moved  with  its  corps  to  the 
northeast  of  Atlanta,  marching  all  night  and  all  the  next  day.  Of  this 
march  it  can  be  said  a  more  mournful  or  sad  one,  never  was  mad<\  being 
separated  for  the  first  time  from  the  comrades  with  whom  we  had  been  so 
intimately  connected  for  two  years.  Having  shared  with  them  a  common 
danger,  linked  together  by  the  strongest  ties  of  friendship,  it  seemed  like 
severing  the  strong  ties  of  our  being  to  part  -with  them.  But  the  last 
pressure  of  the  hand  had  been  given,  and  each  started  off  in  the  path  marked 
out  for  them,  one  leading  to  freedom  from  Avar  and  carnage  and  the  weary 
march  and  bivouac,  to  the  peaceful  home  and  dear  friends  whose  hearts 


(1864)  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY    'A."  87 

would  be  gladdened  by  their  sate  return,  while  those  remaining  were  to  take 
the  one  leading  to  the  uncertain  future  of  civil  strife,  to  face  again  the  brave 
and  determined  foe,  and  plod  along  on  weary  marches  through  storm  and 
sunshine,  with  the  earth  for  our  bed  and  the  broad  canopy  of  heaven  for 
our  covering,  yet  in  the  distance  was  a  bright  star  of  hope  which  beckoned 
us  on,  a  hope  which  overbalanced  fatigue,  hunger  and  exposure,  which  met 
its  full  fruition  when  one  year  later  the  white  winged  dove  of  peace  again 
hovered  over  all  our  country,  saved  and  reunited. 

We  reached  the  outposts  of  Atlanta  and  camped  about  three  miles 
from  that  city.  Heavy  skirmishing  was  going  on  along  the  whole  line 
most  of  the  time.  On  the  19th,  20th,  arid  21st,  we  took  part  in  the  engage- 
ments, and  lost  two  of  our  new  men,  Samuel  Hadlock  and  Jacob  Dielman, 

On  the  22nd  the  Battery  was  posted  on  a  high  ridge  through  which  the 
railroad  was  cut,  portions  of  the  Battery  being  on  each  side.  We  had  but 
a  skirmish  line  of  infantry  to  support  us.  This  line  became  so  hotly  en- 
gaged when  the  enerm7  appeared  in  force  in  front,  that  the  whole  cut  was 
enveloped  in  smoke,  and  they  filed  through  unnoticed,  and  deploying  in 
the  rear  of  the  Battery,  made  a  bayonet  attack  on  it,  simultaneous  with  a 
similar  attack  in  front. 

The  Battery  being  so  overpowered  was  captured,  and  many  of  the  boys 
were  taken  prisoners  but  very  fortunately  were  soon  afterward  exchanged. 

Those  captured  were  John  Thomas,  John  Frazier,  William  Scupham, 
William  Heartt,  Lewis  Lake,  Edward  Ferry,  Charles  G.  Siller,  John  F. 
Stranberg,  Thomas  Wileox,  A.  C.  Hall,  F.  Sweeney,  William  H.  Cowlin, 
S.  P.  Coe  and  Lieut.  Smyth.  A  number  were  killed  and  wounded.  The 
killed  were  brave  John  Farl,  Lieut,  Raub,  John  P.  Chalman  and  Alexander 
Biedelman.  Tim  Lyrch  of  old  squad  one,  and  Thomas  Canfield,  each  lost 
an  arm.  Our  infantry  soon  rallied  and  forced  the  rebels  back,  regaining 
our  position,  but  the  rebels  in  retreating  took  four  of  our  guns  with  them. 
The  two  remaining  guns,  in  command  of  Sergt,  Ed.  Clark,  opened  fire  on 
the  rebels  with  solid  shot,  having  no  other  ammunition.  Lieut.  Smyth 
having  been  made  prisoner,  Lieut.  Cheney  was  placed  in  command  the  next 
morning,  remaining  about  a  week,  when  Lieut.  Echte  of  a  Missouri  battery 
succeeded  him.  We  took  part  in  the  grand  move  to  the  rear  of  Atlanta  on 
the  26th,  which  culminated  in  the  short  but  severe  battle  of  Jonesborough 
on  the  28th,  in  which  we  were  engaged  without  loss,  and  which  compelled 


88  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  (1865) 

the  evacuation  of  Atlanta.  Sept.  4th  a  general  order  from  Gen.  Grant  was 
read  announcing  its  surrender.  Here  we  were  reorganized,  and  Capt.  E.  P. 
Wilcox,  formerly  of  Battery  "B"  placed  in  command,  and  Lieut's  Colby, 
Roberts  and  Dutch  were  selected  by  ballot  by  the  members  of  the  Battery. 
After  about  a  month's  encampment  on  the  outskirts  of  Atlanta,  we  moved 
northward  towards  Hood's  army,  and  when  he  countermarched  by  our  left 
flank,  and  went  south,  we  were  ordered  to  Nashville  where  we  arrived  No- 
vember 1,  1864,  and  were  in  the  reserve  line  during  the  battle  thi  re.  From 
here  we  were  sent  to  Chattanooga,  remaining  till  the  latter  part  of  June,  1865. 

Shortly  after  we  reached  Chattanooga  it  was  discovered  that  the  Battery 
was  entitled  to  one  more  lieutenant,  and  the  comrades  surprised  Spencer  S. 
Kim  bell  by  securing  a  commission  for  him,  and  presenting  with  it  a  beau- 
tiful sword,  sash  and  belt.  During  onr  stay  at  Chattanooga  we  were  in  the 
reserve  and  doing  garrison  duty.  Many  of  our  boys  were  detailed  on  de- 
tached service,  amo-ng  them  being  Ferd  Y.  Gindele  and  J.  W-  Kimbell,  in 
the  ordinance  department,  and  James  II.  Shrigley,  J.  H.  Long,  and  Win. 
II.  Johnson  wnich  gave  them  the  opportuni  y  of  taking  part  in  Sherman's 
Grand  March  ''from  Atlanta  to  the  sea."  These  comrades  were  mustered  out 
in  Washington,  at  the  close  of  the  war. 

The  war  being  virtually  ended  we  were  finally  ordered  home  for  muster 
out.  We  arrived  home  July  3d,  and  were  welcomed  by  kind  and  true  friends, 
to  enjoy  again  the  comforts  and  sweets  of  civil  life.  A  grand  banquet  was 
given  in  honor  of  our  return.  Our  boys  took  up  the  new  struggle  of  life, 
for  fame  and  for  fortune,  each  in  his  own  sphere,  some  in  the  professions 
others  in  the  trades  and  at  farming, all  happy  in  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  their  share  towards  securing  a  peace  to  the  country,  which  it  is  hoped 
will  be  as  lasting  as  the  government  itself. 


Record  of  Battery  "A." 


OCCUPATION  OF  CAIRO. 

OCCUPATION  OF  PADUCAH. 
FORT  HENRY. 

FORT  DONKLSON. 
SHILOH. 

CORINTH. 

CHICKASAW  BAYOU. 
ARKANSAS  POST. 
CHAMPION  HILL. 
VICKSBURG. 

JACKSON. 
CHATTANOOGA. 

RESACA. 

DALLAS. 

BIG  SHANTY. 

KENESAW  MOUNTAIN. 
ATLANTA. 

NASHVILLE. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES 

OF  MEMBERS  OF 

BATTERY  "A,"  FIRST  ILLINOIS  LIGHT 
ARTILLERY  VOLUNTEERS. 


CHAPTER  TIL 

IN  writing  the  history  of  the  members  of  our  company,  it  would  become  a 
monotonous  repetition  to  ascribe  to  each  individual  member  all  the  quali- 
ties of  loyalty,  patriotism  and  bravery  which  he  possessed.  And  every  mem- 
ber did  possess  them,  as  was  fully  demonstrated  by  their  action  in  respond- 
ing to  the  call  of  their  country,  with  eagerness  and  enthusiasm,  when  the 
news  of  the  assault  upon  Fort  Sumter  flashed  over  the  wires,  throwing  the 
entire  loyal  North  into  a  blaze  of  patriotism.  None  but  brave  patriots  could 
have  borne  so  philosophically  and  uncomplainingly  the  discomforts  and  pri- 
vations incident  to  army  life,  adapting  themselves  so  readily  to  every  situa- 
tion and  making  the  best  of  it,  often  displaying  an  amount  of  versatility  and 
inventive  genius  in  mastering  difficulties  and  producing  comforts  that  sur- 
prised even  themselves.  Therefore,  a  mention  on  these  lines  in  individual 
cases  will  be  omitted  as  superfluous.  Numerous  difficulties  have  presented 
themselves  in  preparing  these  sketches.  It  has  been  no  easy  task  to  condense 
the  details  into  such  form  as  to  make  a  history  which  all  could  satisfactorily 
peruse,  both  now  and  in  later  years.  In  some  cases  the  data  furnished  has 
been  very  meager;  in  others,  it  has  been  so  ample  that  it  has  required  con- 
siderable care  and  judgment  to  discriminate  as  to  what  was  best  to  omit 
or  use.  But  what  has  been  the  most  formidable  difficulty  to  overcome  has 
been  the  failure  of  numbers  of  the  comrades  to  furnish  any  data  for  their 
sketches,  in  which  cases  the  official  records,  as  far  as  could  be  obtained, 
have  had  to  suffice.  It  is  hoped  that  the  effort  to  make  this  portion  of  the 
volume  a  reliable  record  of  the  lives  of  our  members  .has  been  fairly  suc- 
cessful and  will  prove  reasonably  satisfactory  to  them  and  to  all  interested. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  91 

JAMES  SMITH. 

The  honor  and  credit  of  having  founded  and  led  into  the  field  the  first 
battery  in  the  Union  Army  in  the  West  belongs  to  Captain  James  Smith. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  organizers  of  the  battery,  and  had  been  con- 
nected with,  and  an  active  worker  in,  it  since  1847,  so  he  was  well  fitted  to 
take  the  lead,  which  he  did  with  promptness  and  true  Scotch  vigor,  and 
he  found  ready  followers  and  supporters  from  among  the  best  young  men 
of  the  city,  many  of  whom  had  always  known  him.  He  was  born  in  the 
Parish  of  Old  Deer,  Scotland,  where  his  childhood  and  youth  were  passed 
and  his  school  education  obtained.  When  a  young  man  he  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in  Chicago.  He  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Sheriffs  &  Smith, 
and  doing  a  large  and  lucrative  business.  He  offered  the  services  of  the 
battery  to  Governor  Yates,  when  President  Lincoln  made  his  first  call  for 
troops.  They  were  accepted,  and  he  left  Chicago  with  his  battery  in  the 
first  body  of  troops  for  the  war  April  2ist,  1861.  He  went  to  Cairo,  where, 
after  a  few  days,  he  was  stationed  up  the  Mississippi  River,  and  went  into 
camp,  which  was  named  in  his  honor,  "Camp  Smith."  It  was  located  in  a 
dense  forest  of  heavy  timber  and  undergrowth,  and  he  at  once  set  to  work 
with  his  men  and  began  the  clearing  up  of  ten  acres,  in  order  to  have  a 
suitable  drill  and  parade  ground  and  a  comfortable  camp.  This  wTas  accom- 
plished in  due  time,  and  under  his  instruction  the  battery  soon  became  very 
proficient.  He  was  a  thorough  disciplinarian,  and  a  most  careful  tactician, 
and  having  had  years  of  experience  in  the  artillery  drill  and  practice,  was 
well  fitted  to  train  a  body  of  intelligent  and  willing  young  men.  During  the 
summer  his  health  began  to  fail,  and  in  September  he  was  obliged  to  resign 
his  commission  and  return  home.  He  remained  in  the  city  till  the  close  of 
the  war,  and  was  very  active  in  looking  after  the  interests  of  his  old  battery, 
caring  for  the  sick  and  wounded  as  they  were  sent  home,  and  assisting  in 
supplying  those  in  the  field  with  many  of  the  comforts  and  even  luxuries 
which  were  not  furnished  by  the  government.  And  the  boys  at  the  front 
did  not  forget  their  old  commander,  and  appreciated  what  he  was  doing  for 
them.  While  in  camp  before  Vicksburg  in  1863  they  demonstrated  their 
affection  and  esteem  for  him  by  presenting  him  with  a  beautiful  gold  watch, 
accompanied  by  the  following  letter: 

Camp  of  Co.  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  Before  Vicksburg. 

April  21,  1863. 

"Sir:  Two  years  since,  in  the  vanguard  of  the  sons  of  Illinois  going  to  do 
battle  in  their  country's  cause,  you  headed  Chicago's  battery.  With  un- 
yielding patience  and  perseverance  the  raw  levy  under  your  skillful  guid- 
ance and  care  became  efficient  and  active  troops.  Forced  from  their  leader- 
ship by  severe  disability,  you  have  ever  been  watchful  of  the  interests  of 
your  old  companions  in  arms.  By  your  exertions  our  camp  has  numberless 


CAPT.  JAMES  SMITH. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A .  "  95 


times  been  supplied  with  the  delicacies  and  necessaries  which  can  only  be 
procured  from  home,  and  from  those  whose  every  care  is  the  soldier's.  Our 
sick  and  wounded  have  received  from  you  a  father's  care,  and  the  ashes  of 
those  brave  ones  gone  before  have  been  gathered  to  rest  in  peace  near  their 
own  loved  homes.  You  are,  sir,  in  the  hearts  of  your  old  command,  the  father 
as  well  as  the  founder  of  Company  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery. 

Receive,  sir,  this  watch,  with  the  prayers  of  all  for  your  future  happi- 
ness and  prosperity,  and  the  assurance  of  the  love  and  esteem  of  all  of 

Company  A. 
To  Capt.  James  Smith,  Chicago,  111." 

After  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  mining  business  in  the  West,  in  which 
he  was  very  successful.  He  died  at  San  Jose,  Cal.,  May  i,  1872.  His  re- 
mains were  brought  to  Chicago  and  interred  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery.  He 
did  not  forget  his  old  comrades,  and  in  his  will  bequeathed  $2,000  for  the 
purpose  of  erecting  a  monument  for  them  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery,  and  the 
beautiful  and  appropriate  monument  of  a  stone  field  piece,  draped  in  a  flag 
of  the  same  material,  now  standing  in  that  cemetery,  was  made  possible 
by  the  assistance  of  his  generous  bequest. 

He  was  married  to  Mary  L.  Stoughton  in  1847.  Three  children  were 
born  to  them,  two  little  girls,  dying  in  infancy,  and  a  son,  Wm.  B.,  dying 
Jan.  31,  1898.  A  sister,  Mrs.  Isabella  Hadley,  widow  of  Dr.  Hadley,  re- 
sides in  Chicago. 

FRANK  S.  ALLEN. 

In  the  prime  of  life  Frank  S.  Allen  was  called  from  his  earthly  home 
Jan.  25,  1894,  at  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  where  he  had  gone,  hoping  to  regain  his 
health  which,  during  the  last  two  years  of  his  life,  had  become  very  feeble. 
He  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  April  4,  1836,  and  was  therefore  in  his 
fifty-eighth  year  at  the 'time  of  his  death.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  July  16, 
1861,  and  served  with  credit  until  Dec.  31,  1863,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  Second  Lieutenant,  and  transferred  to  the  Second  Louisiana 
Colored  Artillery,  in  which  command  he  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  As 
a  soldier  he  distinguished  himself  wherever  duty  called,  and  on  many  fields 
of  battle  displayed  a  heroism  and  manly  courage  that  commanded  the  re- 
spect of  his  associates  and  the  admiration  of  his  superior  officers.  As  a 
business  man  since  the  war  he  was  well  known  for  his  energy,  integrity  and 
enterprise,  as  well  as  for  his  courteous  disposition.  He  was  one  of  the 
principals  of  the  Chicago  Scale  Co.,  and  was  very  successful  in  his  business. 
The  taste  he  acquired  in  the  army  for  military  drill  and  discipline  remained 
with  him  to  the  end  of  his  life.  He  was  one  of  the  most  active  members  of 
the  National  Guard,  and  as  an  officer  in  Battery  "D,"  of  Chicago,  did  as 
much  as  any  one  individual  to  build  up  that  splendid  organization  to  the 
high  position  it  attained.  His  wife  had  preceded  him  but  a  few  years  to 


CHARLES  L.  ARNOLD. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  95 

the  better  world.  His  remains  were  brought  to  Chicago  and  laid  to  rest  in 
Rose  Hill  Cemetery.  His  funeral  was  conducted  by  the  Masonic  order, 
of  which  he  was  a  distinguished  member,  and  was  attended  by  a  large  num- 
ber of  his  old  army  comrades.  The  remains  were  kept  in  state  in  Battery 
"D"'  armory,  where  services  were  held.  Among  the  floral  tributes  was  a 
large  piece  of  artillery  done  in  carnation  pinks  and  roses.  His  comrades 
will  ever  cherish  his  memory  for  his  loyalty  and  devotion  to  his  friends  and 
to  principle,  his  love  for  his  country,  and  for  his  fidelity  to  the  patriotic 
prirHples  of  the. Republican  party,  of  which  he.  was  an  honored  member. 

CHARLES  LEWIS  ARNOLD. 

It  is  p'robable  that  no  similar  organization  in  the  Union  Army  had  a 
larger  proportion  of  very  young  members,  ranging  from  sixteen  to  twenty 
years  of  age,  than  did  Battery  "A."  And  it  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  no 
soldiers  in  the  army  possessed  more  patriotic  zeal  and  bravery,  nor  endured 
the  hardships  and  privations  of  army  life  more  unflinchingly  and  hardily 
than  these  same  younger  members.  Chief  among  these  was  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  Charles  L.  Arnold.  He  was  born  in  Hazel  Green,  Wis., 
April  9,  1844.  His  father  was  engaged  in  mining  at  this  place.  When 
Charles  was  three  years  old  his  family  moved  to  Rockford,  111.,  and  later  on 
to  the  State  of  New  York.  When  he  was  eight  years  old  his  family  settled 
in  Toledo,  Ohio.  Here  Charles  acquired  his  early  school  education,  re- 
moving to  Chicago  in  1859,  which  city  has  since  been  his  home.  He  was 
clerking  for  a  Board  of  Trade  commission  firm  on  South  \Vater  street  at 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  Throwing  up  his  position  he  enlisted  in  the 
battery  in  Chicago  July  28,  1861,  as  private,  in  which  position  he  served 
until  the  battery  reached  Young's  Point,  when  he  was  appointed  corporal. 
He  continued  in  the  service  with  the  battery  during  the  entire  three  years 
term  of  enlistment,  though  he  had  one  opportunity  to  leave  it  for  a  position 
in  General  Sherman's  Adjutant  General's  office,  when  he  was  but  nineteen 
years  of  age,  but  he  preferred  to  remain  with  the  battery.  \Vhile  the 
battery  was  in  camp  on  Walnut  Hills,  Vicksburg,  President  Lincoln  notified 
General  Grant  that  there  were  six  vacancies  existing  at  West  Point,  from 
the  State  of  Mississippi.  That  State  being  in  rebellion,  he  was  desirous  of 
filling  these  with  six  worthy  young  soldiers  from  his  victorious  armies. 
This  work  of  selection  was  turned  over  to  General  Sherman.  After  a  com- 
petitive examination  at  his  headquarters,  Charles  L.  Arnold  was  honored 
with  the  selection  to  represent  the  artillery  branch  of  the  service.  These 
six  selections  were  communicated  to  the  entire  army,  in  a  general  order, 
and  they  were  instructed  to  get  ready  to  go  on  a  certain  day.  Meanwhile 
the  names  had  been  sent  to  President  Lincoln,  but  it  was  discovered  that 
onlv  three  vacancies  existed  instead  of  six,  and  the  names  were  returned 


96  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

to  Grant  to  select  three  from.  He  made  the  selection  by  shaking  the  names 
in  his  hat  and  taking  the  first  three  drawn.  In  the  drawing  poor  Charley 
was  left.  General  Sherman  deprecated  General  Grant's  method  of  selec- 
tion, saying  he  would  have  chosen  one  from  each  branch  of  the  service, 
infantry,  cavalry  and  artillery,  in  which  case  Arnold  would  have  been  one. 
General  Sherman  was  much  interested  in  his  case,  and  wrote  Governor 
Yates  asking  for  his  appointment  at  West  Point  or  some  "kindred  institu- 
tion," which  letter  was  probably  lost,  as  it  was  never  heard  from.  He  served 
with  the  battery  till  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  and  was  mustered  out 
at  Springfield  in  July,  1864,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Chicago.  His 
business  career  since  the  war  up  to  1892  has  been  confined  entirely  to  mer- 
cantile pursuits.  Since  the  latter  period  he  has  dealt  in  real  estate,  mostly 
in  his  own  property.  Up  to  the  great  Chicago  fire,  Oct.  9,  1871,  he  had  been 
employed  by  others  as  bookkeeper  or  cashier,  except  for  a  few  months, 
when  he  was  in  partnership  writh  his  brother,  in  the  commission  business. 
Since  the  fire  he  has  been  in  business,  in  various  lines,  both  mercantile  and 
manufacturing,  on  his  own  account,  or  associated  with  others  in  partnership 
or  corporation,  always  in  an  active  capacity  as  officer  and  director.  The 
firm  of  Charles  L.  Arnold  &  Co.,  dealing  in  cheese  and  provisions  on  South 
Water  street,  existed  for  nine  years,  beginning  Oct.  23,  1871,  when  he  sold 
out  and  went  West  to  take  up  a*  promising  mining  enterprise,  becoming 
general  manager.  Associated  with  him  in  this  were  many  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Chicago.  Although  he  made  money,  'the  enterprise  in  the  end  did 
not  meet  expectations.  He  then  organized  a  company  to  utilize  an  inven- 
tion of  his  own  (then  new)  of  refining  cotton  seed  oil  and  compounding  lard. 
It  required  the  formation  of  three  separate  companies  to  get  into  successful 
operation,  the  first  two  failing  to  carry  out  the  contract,  from  no  fault  of 
his  or  his  process.  The  product  of  the  third  company  found  a  market  in  all 
parts  of  the  civilized  world  to  the  extent  of  $1,500,000  in  value  per  year  for 
six  years.  This  business,  with  a  number  of  others,  was  in  1891  merged  into 
the  Columbia  Oil  Co.,  with  a  capitalization  of  $1,000,000,  of  which  Charles  L. 
Arnold  was  elected  Vice  President  and  Manager.  Later  the  Illinois  Trust 
and  Savings  Bank  was  made  trustee  of  $400,000  of  the  company's  bonds. 
Failure  to  float  them,  the  strenuous  opposition  of  the  American  Cotton  Oil 
trust,  and  the  financial  storm  then  setting  in  all  over  the  country  forced  the 
company  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to  real 
estate,  considerable  of  which  he  had  acquired  in  the  meantime.  His  first 
efforts  were  very  successful,  but  later,  as  the  panic  broke  and  money  fought 
shy  of  real  estate,  it  became  a  very  serious  proposition  and,  like  many  others, 
he  is  carrying  a  load  that  he  wishes  was  not  quite  so  heavy.  He  was  happily 
married  to  Miss  Eliza  A.  Rowan  in  1865.  They  have  had  three  children,  one 
son  and  two  daughters;  one  daughter  died  in  1873.  He  resides  at  his  own 
home  at  1227  Michigan  avenue. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  97 


ABBOTT  L.  ADAMS. 

Abbott  L.  Adams  is  a  native  of  Keene,  N.  H.,  where  he  was  born  April 
20,  1842,  and  lived  till  ten  years  of  age,  when  his  parents  came  to  Chicago, 
which  has  been  his  home  since.  He  was  a  clerk  when  the  war  broke  out,  and 
with  his  brother  George  E.  enlisted  in  the  battery  April  19,  1861,  and 
served  with  the  battery  at  Cairo,  111.,  and  in  Northern  Missouri  till  August  4, 
1 86 1,  when  he  was  mustered  out,  his  term  of  enlistment  having  expired.  He 
re-enlisted  as  private  in  Chicago  Board  of  Trade  Battery  July  22,  1862,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama and  Mississippi  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  Was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Stone  river  December  31,  1862.  Commissioned  Second  Lieu- 
tenant on  June  22,  1865,  and  mustered  out  of  the  service  July  3,  1865. 

He  has  been  in  the  mercantile  business  since  the  war,  and  has  never 
been  married. 

GEORGE  EVERETT  ADAMS. 

Hon.  Geo.  E.  Adams,  of  Chicago,  was  one  of  the  original  three  months 
soldiers,  and  served  that  term  with  the  battery.  He  wras  born  in  Keene,  N. 
H.,  June  18,  1840.  and  lived  there  till  1853,  when  he  came  to  Chicago, 
which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  went  East  in  1854  to  school  and  fin- 
ished at  Phillips  Exeter  Academy,  entering  Harvard  in  1856,  and  graduated 
from  there  in  1860.  He  returned  to  Chicago  and  in  1861  was  a  law  student 
with  the  well-known  firm  of  Scammon,  McCagg  &  Fuller.  He  enlisted 
as  private  in  the  battery  with  his  brother,  Abbott  L.,  April  19,  1861.  He 
was  with  the  section  of  the  battery  that  was  sent  from  Cairo  to  St.  Louis 
and  Mexico,  Mo.,  and  was  mustered  out  by  reason  of  expiration  of  his  term 
of  enlistment  Aug.  4,  1861.  He  taught  school  a  year,  then  took  a  term  in 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  after  which  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in 
Chicago,  and  has  since  successfully  followed  that  profession.  He  is  a 
public-  spirited  citizen,  and  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics, 
and  always  has  been  a  consistent  and  stanch  Republican.  He  was  elected 
to  the  State  Senate  in  1880,  and  to  Congress  in  1882,  serving  faithfully  and 
creditably  until  1891.  He  married  Miss  Adele  Foster  and  has  two  daugh- 
ters, Isabel  and  Margaret. 

OLOF   BENSON. 

In  far  away  north  of  Europe,  in  the  Kingdom  of  Sweden,  where  the 
long  nights  of  winter  linger,  Olof  Benson  was  born  July  14,  1836.  He 
came  to  America  \vhen  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  acquired  the  English  lan- 
guage and  a  fair  knowledge  of  our  institutions,  etc.,  in  a  printing  office  at 
Defiance,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  eighteen.  While  circulator  of  the 
weekly  paper,  the  Defiance  Democrat,  he  astonished  the  Democratic  editor 


GEORGE  E.   ADAMS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  99 


one  New  Year's  morning  by  distributing  to  the  subscribers  a  New  Year's 
address,  in  blank  verse,  composed  and  printed  by  himself,  and  brim  full  of 
"black  Republican"  sentiments,  being  inspired  thereto  by  reading  the  story 
of  "Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,"  then  being  published  in  the  Washington   Na- 
tional New  Era.     When  nineteen  he  taught  a  public  school  in  English  in 
the  backwoods  near  Defiance,  Ohio.     Here  he  demonstrated  his  fighting 
qualities  by  whipping  a  pupil  nearly  twice  his  size,  for  disobedience.     This 
same  boy,  some  ten  years  later,  then  a  volunteer  in  the  Sixty-eighth  Ohio 
Infantry,  visited  our  battery  one  day  down  in  Alabama,  inquired  for  Mr. 
Benson,  thanked  him  for  the  whipping,  and   said  it  did  him  good,   and 
helped  to  make  a  man  of  him.    Comrade  Benson  thinks  the  reason  so  many 
great  men  came  from  Ohio  is  because  they  had  the  right  kind  of  training  at 
school.     He  came  to  Chicago  when  twent},  in  the  fall  of  1856.     His  first 
work,  prophetic  of  his  future  usefulness,  was  to  assist  in  planting  a  large 
evergreen  at  the  residence  of  the  late  S.  S.  Hayes,  opposite  Union  Park, 
which  was  then  a  bare  prairie.    In  1857,  the  year  of  the  money  panic,  being 
unable  to  obtain  work  in  the  printing  business,  he  improved  the  opportu- 
nity to  acquire  a  better  education,  and,  entering  the  old  Chicago   High 
School,  took  a  three  years'  course,  graduating  in  1860,  in  the  same  class 
with  Albert  G.  Lane  and  other  old-time  Chicagoans.     When  the  firing  on 
Eort  Sumter  sounded  the  tocsin  of  civil  war,  none  felt  a  keener  interest  in 
the  issues  at  stake.    Learning  Sunday.  April  21,  1861,  that  Battery  "A"  was 
at  the  armory,  under  orders  to  go  to  the  front,  without  consultation  with 
friends  or  previous  preparation,  he  enlisted  and  went  as  he  was,  dressed  in 
his  Sunday  clothes,  with  the  boys,  not  one  of  whom  he  then  knew.     By  his 
quiet,  gentlemanly  demeanor,  and  his  earnest,  patriotic  zeal  he  was  not  long 
without  friends,  and  soon  acquired  the  friendship  and  esteem  of  the  entire 
battery.     He  served  with  the  battery  three  years  and  three  months,  par- 
ticipating in  all  its  hardships,  privations,  battles,  and  glories,  with  the  great- 
est interest  and  enthusiasm.    Without  personal  ambition  for  distinction,  he 
is  proud  of  having  had  the  privilege  of  serving  his  adopted  country  by 
being,  as  he  terms  it,  a  "high  private  in  the  rear  rank."     He  was  mustered 
out  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  July  23,  1864,  and,  returning  to 
Chicago,  immediately  took  up  the  profession  of  landscape  gardener,  and  has 
been  identified  with  that  business  ever  since.     Many  of  the  gardenesque 
improvements  of  the  city  and  State  are  the  production  of  his  skill.    He  per- 
sonally designed  and  superintended  most  of  the  improvements  of  Lincoln 
Park,  of  which  he  was  superintendent  and  landscape  gardener  for  seventeen 
years,  from  1865  to  1882,  working  out  the  wonderful  and  artistic  transforma- 
tions of  barren  sand  dunes  and  stretches  of  frog  ponds  as  if  by  magic  into 
wide-spreading  grassy  glades — broad  floral  terraces,  and  large,   beautiful 
lakes,  forming  landscapes  that  have  made  Lincoln  Park  and  Chicago  fa- 


OLOF  BENSON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  101 


mous  all  over  the  world.  The  improvements  of  the  grounds  at  the  Sol- 
dier's Home,  Quincy,  111.,  were  also  designed  by  Comrade  Benson.  He 
lives  on  the  North  Side,  in  Chicago,  is  married  and  has  six  grown-up  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  born  in  Lincoln  Park,  of  which  he  is 
justly  proud,  as  he  lived  in  the  park  during  his  connection  with  it. 


EDWARD  BAGGOT. 

Although  serving  but  a  short  time  in  the  battery,  owing  to  poor  health, 
the  battery  has  always  had  a  stanch  and  true  friend,  both  during  the  war 
and  ever  since,  in  Edward  Baggot.  He  enlisted  and  went  to  the  front  with 
the  battery  April  19,  1861.  He  was  in  the  gun  squad  that  fired  the  first  shot 
in  the  war,  that  brought  the  steamer  "Baltic''  to  land  at  Cairo.  He  was  ap- 
pointed gunner  of  squad  5,  when  he  was  taken  sick  and  placed  in  the  hos- 
pital. The  surgeon  in  charge  advised  and  ordered  his  discharge  for  disa- 
bility, and  he  was  sent  home  in  June.  He  was  born  in  Ireland  Nov.  29, 
1836,  and  lived  on  a  farm  near  Limerick  during  his  early  childhood.  He 
attended  school  at  Ballangarry,  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1853, 
and  settled  in  Chicago.  Here  he  learned  the  trade  of  plumbing  and  gas- 
fitting  with  R.  D.  McFarland,  who  was  one  of  the  leading  men  in  that  busi- 
ness in  Chicago  at  that  time.  After  his  discharge  he  returned  to  Chicago, 
and  when  he  had  recovered  his  health  he  engaged  in  the  plumbing  and  gas- 
fitting  business  and  established  a  small  business,  and  by  untiring  industry, 
push  and  enterprise  laid  the  foundation  for  a  large  and  prosperous  institu- 
tion, of  which  he  is  still  the  general  manager.  His  son,  James  E.  Baggot, 
is  the  able  President  of  the  company.  They  are  the  leading  plumbers  and 
gasfitters  in  Chicago,  and  have  one  of  the  largest  and  best-appointed  es- 
tablishments in  the  West,  at  171  Adams  street.  Although  he  has  been  a 
workman  and  employer  ever  since  he  arrived  at  man's  estate,  he  boasts  that 
he  never  took  part  in  a  strike  but  once  in  his  life,  and  that  was  during  his 
short  term  of  service  with  the  battery.  On  our  arrival  at  Cairo,  while  the 
Commissary  Department  was  getting  in  working  order,  the  battery  boys 
were  boarded  at  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  where  they  lived  high  for  two  or 
three  days.  It  was  too  good  a  thing  to  last  long,  so,  when  one  day  the  tables 
were  set  in  the  back  yard  for  the  boys  they  all  "struck. "  The  rations,  which 
were  principally  baked  beans  in  large  tin  pans,  were  thrown  up  against  the 
walls  of  the  hotel  and  at  one  another.  As  is  usually  the  case  with  strikers, 
they  regretted  their  action  later,  as  they  went  without  rations  for  the  next 
twenty-four  hours.  He  was  elected  President  and  Treasurer  of  the  Battery 
Veteran  Association  for  several  years,  and  has  always  taken  an  active  in- 
terest in  his  old  comrades.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Sheridan 
Club,  has  been  twice  married,  and  has  four  sons  and  four  grandchildren. 


EDWARD  BAG  GOT 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  103 


HENRY  E.  BREWSTER. 

Henry  E.  Brewster  is  a  native  of  the  "Nutmeg"  State,  having  been  born 
in  Rockville,  Conn.,  March  4,  1839.  He  came  West  to  Illinois  when  thir- 
teen years  old  and  settled  in  Chicago  at  twenty-one.  He  was  employed  as 
a  clerk  in  1861  and  left  his  position  to  enlist  in  the  battery  as  private  April 
16.  He  with  a  number  of  others  were  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  the  three 
months'  term,  on  account  of  malaria,  contracted  during  the  service.  He, 
with  others  of  the  boys,  volunteered  to  man  a  gun  for  a  short  time  at  Camp 
Douglas,  Chicago,  standing  guard  over  the  rebel  prisoners  taken  at  Fort 
Donelson.  He  re-enlisted  in  January,  1864,  in  Company  E,  Waterhouse's 
Battery,  and  served  until  July  15,  1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  by  general 
order  of  the  War  Department.  He  has  followed  the  occupations  of  book- 
keeper, mechanic  and  artisan. 

He  was  married  in  1867  to  Lucretia  F.  Oaks,  of  Bellows  Falls,  Vt,  who 
died  in  June,  1897.  He  married  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Xason  for  his  second  wife 
July  28,  1898,  and  now  resides  at  Marlboro,  N.  H. 

JOHN  PEMBER  BROWN. 

Among  the  survivors  of  the  battery  who  located  in  the  Golden  State  is 
John  P.  Brown,  now  of  Florin,  California.  He  was  born  April  13,  1839,  m 
Soclus,  N.  Y.  His  family  moved  to  Milan,  Ohio,  where  his  mother  died. 
After  the  death  of  his  mother  he  went  on  a  sailing  vessel.  In  1850  he  went 
to  Chicago  and  was  apprenticed  as  a  sailmaker  to  Gilbert  Hubbard  &  Co. 
He  served  his  time  with  that  firm  and  was  working  for  them  when  he  en- 
listed, April  19,  1861.  He  re-enlisted  in  the  United  States  service  July  28, 
1861,  enlisting  as  private,  but  after  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  was  made 
artificer  for  the  company.  He  served  with  the  battery  till  the  battle  of 
Vicksburg,  and  was  discharged  March  10,  1863.  for  disability,  which  con- 
sisted of  a  fracture  of  the  left  humerus,  and  three  ribs  and  both  legs  broken 
at  the  knee.  He  returned  to  Chicago  and,  after  recovering  sufficiently,  fol- 
lowed expressing  for  ten  years,  when  he  moved  to  his  present  home  and 
engaged  in  farming  and  fruit  growing  on  a  farm  of  thirty  acres,  which  he 
owns.  He  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Katherine  Gerhart  in  1869.  They 
have  had  four  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive. 

WILLIAM  H.  BAILEY. 

The  city  of  "Brotherly  Love"  is  claimed  by  Comrade  Wm.  H.  Bailey  as 
his  place  of  nativity.  He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  December 
19,  1840,  but  removed  to  Baltimore  at  an  early  age.  Here  his  childhood 
and  youth  were  spent  in  the  way  usual  to  city  children  and  obtaining  a  com- 
mon school  education.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  removed  with  his  parents  to 


HENRY  E.   BREWSTER. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  105 

Chicago,  where  in  due  time  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of  painter,  which 
he  was  following  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment  as  private  in  Battery  "A,"  in 
Chicago,  April  19,  1861.  Near  the  close  of  his  three  months'  service  at 
Cairo  he  was  severely  injured  by  being  run  over  by  a  gun  carriage  while  on 
drill.  He  was  discharged  with  that  portion  of  the  company  not  re-enlisting 
for  three  years.  Having  fully  recovered  from  his  injury  in  August,  1862, 
he  re-enlisted  in  the  same  company,  serving  with  it  and  participating  in  all 
its  engagements  until  the  close  of  the  war,  in  July,  1865.  Joining  the  Chi- 
cago Fire  Department  on  his  return  home,  he  served  two  years  in  that  or- 
ganization. He  then  obtained  a  position  in  the  Chicago  Post  Office,  and 
continued  there  until  1886,  when  he  was  taken  with  the  Western  fever  and 
went  to  the  Black  Hills,  in  Dakota.  Not  realizing  his  expectations  in  this 
move,  he  returned  to  Chicago  and  again  secured  a  position  in  the  Post 
Office,  where  he  is  still  engaged.  He  married  Miss  Kate  Smith,  daughter 
of  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Chicago,  in  1867.  His  family  consists  of  seven 
children  and  one  grandchild. 

CHARLES  CALVIN  BRIGGS. 

The  city  of  Auburn,  on  the  Androscoggin,  in  the  far  east  State  of  Maine, 
is  the  native  place  of  Charles  C.  Briggs.  He  was  born  Sept.  24,  1840.  His 
childhood  and  youth  were  spent  at  home  and  at  school  until  sixteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  went  to  sea.  He  afterwards  drifted  to  the  West,  and  located 
in  Chicago.  In  the  spring  of  1861  he  was  salesman  for  the  extensive  iron 
firm  of  Hale  &  Aver.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago  April  19, 
1861,  and  was  appointed  first  sergeant.  He  served  with  the  battery  until 
January,  1862,  when  he  was  mustered  out  for  promotion  in  the  navy,  which 
he  received  as  Master's  Mate.  Subsequently  he  was  promoted  to  Acting 
Ensign,  with  battery  at  Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh  and  Chickasaw 
Bayou.  He  resigned  from  the  navy  on  account  of  disability,  and  received 
his  final  discharge  March  31,  1865.  Since  the  war  he  has  been  engaged 
continuously  in  the  iron  and  steel  trade,  and  for  the  past  twenty-six  years 
has  been  with  "The  Jones  &  Laughlins,  Limited,"  and  located  at  Pittsburg, 
Pa.,  where  he  resides.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Gerry,  by  whom  he  has  had 
six  children. 

GEORGE  M.  BROWN. 

At  least  one  prominent  citizen  and  native  of  the  "Buckeye"  State  can 

plead  "not  guilty"  to  the  charge  of  having  assisted  that  State  to  gain  the 

reputation  with  which  she  is  credited  by  all  the  newspaper  paragraphers  of 

scrambling  for  the  Presidential  nomination  at  every  Republican  convention 

since  Lincoln's  time.    Not  that  Ohio  need  to  be  ashamed  of  her  Presidential 


JOHN  P.   BROWN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  107 

sons  in  the  persons  of  Grant,  Hayes,  Garfield  and  McKinley,  but  this  state- 
ment is  made  to  prove  that  all  her  influential  citizens  are  not  grasping-  for 
the  highest  political  honors,  as  they  are  so  generally  accused  of  doing. 
George  M.  Brown  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Conneaut,  Ohio,  Feb.  24,  1830, 
and,  except  at  short  intervals,  that  city  has  been  and  still  is  his  home.  He 
was  clerking  in  the  commission  house  of  Allen  Howes,  on  South  Water- 
street,  Chicago,  in  the  spring  of  1861,  and  left  his  position  to  enlist  as 
"high  private"  and  corporal  in  Battery  "A,"  April  17,  1861.  He  served 
three  years  and  three  months  with  the  battery,  was  in  every  front  line  and 
every  fight  or  skirmish  in  which  the  battery  was  engaged.  He  has  suc- 
cessfully followed  the  hotel,  mail  service  and  mining  business,  and  is  now 
engaged  in  banking,  being  President  of  the  Conneaut  Mutual  Loan  Asso- 
ciation. It  is  sad  to  say  Comrade  Bro'wn  has  never  married,  nor  applied 
for  a  pension.  He  has  never  regretted  his  army  experience.  He  is  proud 
of  his  service  and  record,  as  well  he  may  be.  He  made  many  a  telling  shot 
with  a  lo-pound  Parrott  gun,  also  with  a  3O-pounder.  His  squad,  with  him- 
self and  Capt.  Wood,  had  a  miraculous  escape  from  utter  annihilation  at  the 
siege  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  as  noted  elsewhere  in  this  history.  He  had  the 
honor  and  credit  of  stopping  the  steamer  Vicksburg  from  escaping  down 
the  river  from  Vicksburg  one  night,  which  he  did  with  his  3O-pound  Parrot. 
He  also  made  a  shot  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  with  a  lo-pounder  which  knocked 
the  trunnions  off  a  64-pound  columbiad  of  the  enemy.  He  is  in  the  enjoyment 
of  good  health  and  a  comfortable  competence,  and  has  the  best  wishes  of 
all  his  old  comrades  for  their  continuance. 

MARTIN  A.  BARTLESON. 

That  the  so-called  "wild  and  woolly  West"  allured  many  of  the  vet- 
erans of  the  war  at  its  close  is  a  well-known  fact.  Battery  "A"  furnished 
its  full  share  of  citizens  for  the  far  West,  prominent  among  whom  is  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  Martin  A.  Bartleson.  He  was  born  in  Macomb,  111., 
July  16,  1842,  and  lived  at  home,  attending  to  the  ordinary  vocations  of 
youth,  until  the  spring  of  1860,  when  he  went  to  the  Pike's  Peak  gold  re- 
gions, where  he  remained  till  late  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year,  when  he 
returned,  and  shortly  after  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  was  living  when  the 
war  broke  out,  attending  Commercial  College.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery 
as  private  "in  the  front  rank"  April  19,  1861,  and  served  with  the  battery 
continuously  and  faithfully  till  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  his  three  years' 
enlistment,  at  Springfield,  111.,  July  23,  1864.  He  was  appointed  corporal 
by  Captain  Wood  April  i,  1864.  He  returned  to  Chicago  soon  after  his  dis- 
charge from  the  army,  and  was  engaged  in  railroading  for  several  years. 
He  then  took  a  course  at  the  Medical  and  Dental  College  of  St.  Louis,  and 
after  graduating  went  to  Denver,  Colo.,  and  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  From 


WILLIAM  H.  BAILEY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  109 

1 88 1  to  1888  he  spent  most  of  the  time  in  San  Francisco,  New  York,  London 
and  Paris,  and  then  returned  to  Denver,  where  he  remained  until  1895, 
practicing  his  profession.  He  then  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  a  manu- 
facturing business.  In  1896  he  met  with  a  severe  accident  in  his  factory, 
which  very  nearly  resulted  fatally,  and  from  the  effects  of  which  he  is  still 
a  sufferer  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  His  mishap  was  a  fall  of  several 
stories  through  an  open  elevator  shaft,  landing  on  top  of  the  cage,  break- 
ing his  left  arm  and  shoulder  arid  dislocating  his  hip  and  knee.  He  will 
never  fully  recover  from  the  injuries  sustained.  He  was  elected  President 
of  the  Battery  Veteran  Association  at  its  annual  reunion  in  September,  1896. 
His  injury  occurred  soon  after  and  he  has  not  been  able  to  attend  any  of  its 
meetings  since.  He  is  now  engaged  in  mining,  and  has  interests  in  mines 
in  Arizona  and  Sonora,  Mexico,  with  fair  prospects  ahead,  which  all  his  old 
comrades  hope  will  materialize.  He  was  married  March  6,  1866,  at  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Abbie  N.  Ray,  a  niece  of  Hon.  W.  H.  Ray,  Congressman 
from  Illinois.  They  have  no  children. 

JEROME  PATTERSON  BRIGGS. 

Jerome  P.  Briggs,  a  popular  member  of  the  battery,  now  deceased,  \\SLS 
born  in  Ogdensburg,  New  York.  Aug.  15,  1841.  He  lived  there,  attending 
school,  till  thirteen  years  old.  He  then  came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents. 
He  learned  the  trade  of  painter  and  glazier,  and  was  so  engaged  when  he 
enlisted  in  the  battery  on  the  first  call  for  troops  April  19,  1861.  He  served 
as  postillion  tilt  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  July  23, 
1864,  and  returned  to  Chicago.  He  had  a  beautiful  gray  team  of  horses,  of 
which  he  was  very  proud,  and  which  received  his  most  careful  attention.  He 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  killed  at  one  time,  when  he  received  a  kick 
from  his  favorite  horse,  between  the  eyes  and  on  the  forehead.  This  was 
the  only  injury  he  received  during  his  service.  After  the  war  he  entered  the 
employment  of  Mr.  Hathaway,  an  old  resident  and  prominent  citizen  of 
Chicago,  and  went  with  him  to  Texas  to  buy  cattle.  He  died  of  yellow 
fever  at  Galveston  in  April,  1872.  His  mother  and  sister,  and  brothers, 
Harvey  D.  Briggs  and  Wm.  C.  Briggs,  reside  in  Chicago. 

SAMUEL  WILLIAM  BUTTERFIELD. 

A  bright  and  honored  light  went  out  from  the  ranks  of  Battery  "A"  sur- 
vivors when  Samuel  W.  Butterfield  passed  away  at  his  pleasant  home,  296 
Elm  street,  Chicago,  April  7,  1887.  He  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  July 
7,  1838.  His  parents  both  died  in  that  city,  where  he  lived  and  attended 
school  until  he  grew  to  a  young  man.  He  worked  for  a  while  in  his  native 
city  in  a  drug  store.  He  came  to  Chicago  and  changed  his  business,  en- 
gaging with  the  Putnam  clothing  store,  where  he  was  employed  at  the 


CHARLES  C.  BRIGGS. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  J3A  TTER  Y    'A . "  111 

breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  in  Chicago, 
July  28,  1 86 1.  He  was  not  naturally  of  strong  physique,  and  the  rigors  of 
camp  life  proved  too  severe  for  his  slender  constitution,  and,  though  the 
spirit  was  more  than  willing,  he  was  reluctantly  obliged  to  accept  a  discharge 
for  disability  in  the  spring  of  1862.  Returning  to  Chicago  he  again  took  up 
the  clothing  business  as  soon  as  he  was  sufficiently  recovered,  and  was  in  the 
employ  of  Browning,  King  &  Co.,  one  of  the  largest  retail  clothing  houses 
in  the  city,  up  to  the  time  of  his  last  sickness.  For  many  years  he  was  one  of 
their  most  reliable  and  trustworthy  employes.  He  did  not  forget  his  com- 
rades in  the  field,  and  while  the  war  lasted  was  ever  active  in  looking  after 
the  sick  and  wounded  who  were  sent  home  to  recover.  He  was  one  of  the 
principal  movers  in  the  work  of  erecting  our  battery  monument  in  Rose 
Hill  Cemetery.  He  married  Miss  Alice  M. "Fames,  of  South  Farmingham, 
Mass.  She  was  a  devoted  and  faithful  wife,  caring  tenderly  for  her  delicate 
husband,  but  no  care  or  nursing  could  prolong  his  life.  He  died  beloved 
and  respected  by  all  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  know  him.  He  never  had 
any  children.  His  widow  still  lives  in  the  comfortable  home  which,  by  his 
industry  and  frugality,  with  the  help  of  his  faithful  wife,  he  had  acquired 
a  few  years  before  his  death.  His  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  Graceland 
Cemetery. 

HENRY  BURDICK. 

One  of  the  youngest  members  of  the  battery  was  Henry  Burdick.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Richmond,  McHenry  County,  Illinois,  in  1845, 
where  he  lived,  attending  the  district  schools  and  working  on  the  farm,  till 
his  enlistment  in  the  battery  July  n,  1862.  His  father  had  enlisted  in  the 
battery  several  months  before,  and  had  left  the  farm  in  charge  of  Henry,  but 
he  was  young  and  full  of  patriotism,  and  his  restlessness  could  only  be 
quieted  by  joining  the  ranks  of  the  army,  so  he  naturally  came  to  the  bat- 
tery with  his  father,  who  felt  that  it  would  be  useless  to  oppose  his  enlist- 
ment when  he  was  determined  to  enlist,  and  felt  that  it  wras  better  to  have  him 
with  him  than  to  be  among  strangers  in  some  other  command.  Although 
among  the  youngest  he  was  also  among  the  best  and  bravest,  if  there  could 
be  any  distinction,  and  served  with  credit  until  mustered  out  with  the  com- 
pany at  the  close  of  the  war  in  July,  1865,  with  rank  of  private.  He  re- 
turned home  after  the  war  and  followed  the  trade  of  brick-making  for  six- 
teen years.  He  then  took  up  carriage  painting,  and  is  still  working  at  that 
business  in  Woodstock,  111.  He  married  Mrs.  Anna  G.  Hughes  in  1894 
and  has  four  children  by  a  former  marriage  and  seven  grandchildren.  Those 
who  have  not  seen  him  since  the  war  will  find  it  hard  to  recognize  the 
beardless  boy  in  the  bewhiskered  veteran  seen  in  his  picture,  but  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  father  is  apparent. 


GEORGE  M.  BROWN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '-A"  113 

JACOB  CLINGMAN. 

Jacob  Clingman  was  born  in  Centre  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  April, 
1838.  His  early  years  were  spent  in  the  place  of  his  birth,  but  for  the  greater 
portion  of  his  life  Chicago  was  his  home.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was 
engaged  in  the  clothing  business  with  his  brother  William.  They  were 
one  of  the  leading  firms  in  that  line  at  that  time.  He  threw  up  a  good  posi- 
tion to  answer  his  country's  first  call  for  men,  and  enlisted  in  the  battery, 
April  19,  1 86 1,  re-enlisted  July  16,  1861,  and  served  the  full  term  of  his  en- 
listment, three  years  and  three  months,  with  rank  of  first  sergeant,  and  was 
mustered  out  July  23,  1864.  He  was  in  every  engagement  and  skirmish,  and 
took  part  in  every  march  with  the  battery  during  his  service.  He  was  al- 
ways ready  for  any  duty,  and  never  flinched  or  faltered  in  performing  it. 
He  was  never  wrounded,  but  his  hearing  was  very  much  impaired  by  the 
frequent  concussions  of  his  gun  during  some  of  the  heavy  engagements. 
After  the  war  he  returned  home  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  which 
he  followed  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  Dec.  3,  1888.  He 
was  buried  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery,  many  of  his  old  comrades  assisting  in 
the  last  sad  rites.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Whitney,  who  survives 
him,  and  now  lives  at  Wilmette,  111.  They  had  a  daughter  and  one  grandson. 

EDWIN  D.  CLARK. 

Another  comrade  is  missing;  he  will  answer  no  more  at  roll  call.  Edwin 
D.  Clark,  who  went  to  the  front  as  one  of  the  first  to  aid  in  defense  of  his 
country's  flag,  and  to  put  down  an  uncalled  for  and  unholy  rebellion,  de- 
parted this  life  at  his  late  home  in  Chicago,  on  Feb.  15,  1895,  after  an  illness 
of  several  weeks/  He  was  born  in  Greenfield,  Mass.,  Nov.  16,  1833,  an<^  was 
an  only  son.  He  came  West  in  1854,  and  settled  at  Richmond,  111.,  a  year  or 
two  previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  In  December,  1860,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Henrietta  L.  Boutelle,  of  Richmond,  111.  His  occupation  in  1861 
was  that  of  sailor  on  the  lakes,  with  headquarters  at  Chicago.  On  the  I2th 
of  October,  1861,  he  bade  good-by  to  his  young  wife  and  joined  Battery  "A," 
First  Illinois  Light  Artillery,  then  in  the  field.  When  he  reached  his  com- 
mand at  Paducah,  Ky.,  he  found  it  preparing  for  active  service,  so  that  from 
the  time  of  his  first  entrance  into  the  army  his  life  as  a  soldier  was  one  of 
exposure,  hardship  and  peril.  He  took  an  active  part  in  all  the  work  of  the 
battery  during  his  connection  with  it.  On  the  22d  of  July,  1863,  while  in 
the  line  of  duty  near  Jackson,  Miss.,  he,  with  ten  of  his  comrades,  was  taken 
prisoner,  but  succeeded  in  making  his  escape,  and  was  the  first  to  return 
from  the  expedition  to  report  the  capture  of  nine  of  his  comrades.  Again, 
the  22d  of  July,  1863,  in  the  battle  of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  he,  with  several  others 


MARTIN  A.   BARTLESON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  115 

of  the  battery,  was  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  and  again  fortunately  made  his 
escape.  In  this  battle  he  had  command  of  a  section  of  the  battery,  which  he 
handled  with  great  courage  and  skill.  He  was  one  of  the  coolest  and 
bravest  men  in  action,  and  was  always  to  be  found  where  duty  called  him. 
He  participated  in  eighteen  battles  and  numerous  skirmishes,  marching 
thousands  of  miles,  never  complaining  or  wavering,  but  nobly  performing 
his  duties  as  a  private,  and  later  as  a  sergeant  in  charge  of  a  gun  and  caisson. 
His  comrades  knew  and  appreciated  his  true  worth,  whether  in  battle,  on 
the  march,  in  camp  or  bivouac.  Of  those  who  went  with  him  from  Mc- 
Henry  County  but  one,  Wm.  H.  Cowlin,  survives.  He  was  mustered  out 
Oct.  12,  1864,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment.  Though  he  passed 
all  through  the  war  uninjured,  he  lost  an  arm  July  4,  1871,  while  assisting  to 
fire  a  national  salute,  by  the  premature  discharge  of  a  gun.  He  was  em- 
ployed at  Lincoln  Park  for  many  years  as  clerk  and  bookkeeper.  His  widow 
survives  him  and  lives  in  Chicago.  He  left  two  children,  a  son,  Walter  R., 
and  daughter,  Cora  E.  Clark.  Walter  served  a  short  term  as  assistant  engi- 
neer on  board  the  United  States  steamer  "Bennington"  during  the  late 
Spanish  war.  Comrade  Clark  was  an  honored  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
A.  O,.  U.  W.,  G.  A.  R.,  and  the  Chicago  Union  Veteran  Club.  Members 
of  the  orders  to  which  he  belonged  escorted  his  remains  to  Richmond,  111., 
where  they  were  laid  to  rest. 

JOHN  HENRY  CLARKE. 

One  of  the  survivors  of  six  months'  rebel  imprisonment,  along  with  a 
term  of  hard,  active  service  in  the  battery,  was  John  H.  Clarke.  He  was 
among  the  foraging  party  that  was  captured  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  endured 
with  the  others  the  suffering  and  hardships  of  six  months  of  captivity,  so 
vividly  portrayed  in  another  chapter,  by  Comrade  W.  H.  Young,  one  of  the 
number.  He  was  born  at  Mt.  Jackson,  Pa.,  July  8,  1844.  His  childhood 
and  youth  were  mostly  spent  in  the  town  of  New  Castle,  Pa.,  and  his  early 
education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  there.  When  the  war  broke 
out  he  was  living  on  a  farm  with  his  uncle,  Dr.  Frank  Henry,  near  Arcola, 
111.,  from  which  place  he  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  the  fall  of  1861,  as  private. 
He  was  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  Oct.  n,  1864.  At 
the  siege  of  Atlanta,  some  five  days  after  his  term  of  enlistment  had  expired, 
he  lost  his  left  arm  near  the  shoulder.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  re- 
mained in  the  South,  and  filled  the  responsible  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  Glen  Mary  coal  mines  in  Tennessee.  On  Jan.  5,  1890,  he  met  with  an 
accidental  death  at  Glen  Mary,  being  killed  by  a  runaway  team.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  M.  E.  Logan,  who  survives  him,  and  lives  at  Poland,  Ohio, 
to  which  place  his  remains  were  brought  and  buried.  They  had  no  children. 


JEROME  P.   BRIGGS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  117 


CHARLES  EDWIN  CLARK. 

The  first  eleven  years  of  the  life  of  C.  E.  Clark  were  spent  in  Boston,  the 
city  of  his  birth.  He  was  born  Jan.  13,  1843.  He  came  to  Chicago  in  his 
twelfth  year,  and  that  city  has  since  been  his  home.  He  was  working  at  his 
trade,  that  of  painter,  when  the  war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery, 
as  private,  in  Chicago,  in  July,  1861,  and  served  till  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  service,  being  mustered  out  in  July,  1864.  He  worked  in  various 
public  offices  in  Chicago  until  nine  years  ago,  when  his  health  gave  out,  and 
he  has  been  in  poor  health  since,  and  is  now  at  the  Hospital  for  Consump- 
tives, at  Dunning,  111.  He  has  never  married.  The  long  years  of  his  sick- 
ness exhausted  his  accumulated  earnings,  and  his  only  income  now  is  that 
received  from  the  government  in  his  pensjon,  with  which  Uncle  Sam  re- 
members his  disabled  defenders  to  a  greater  or  less  degree. 

NATHAN  THOMAS  COX. 

One  of  the  three  members  of  the  battery,  who  for  many  years  was  re- 
ported on  the  Veteran  Association  records  as  "dead,"  but  afterwards  turned 
up  as  "a  very  lively  corpse,"  as  the  boys  used  to  say  in  the  army,  was  Comrade 
Nathan  T.  Cox,  who  is  now  living  in  Denver,  Colo.,  which  has  been  his 
home  for  the  last  eight  years.  He  was  born  Jan.  6,  1840,  on  a  farm  in  Adams 
County.  Illinois,  ten  miles  from  Ouincy.  His  childhood  and  youth  were 
spent  on  the  farm  working  from  early  spring  till  late  fall,  and  going  to  the 
primitive  country  schools  during  the  winter.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
about  twelve  years  old,  and  his  mother  died  about  four  years  later.  They 
were  poor,  the  farm  was  sold,  and  the  family  scattered.  He  worked  among 
the  neighboring  farmers  for  a  while,  and  finally  attended  a  Methodist  semi- 
nary at  Ouincy  a  couple  of  terms.  'In  the  fall  of  1860  he  went  to  Chicago 
and  found  work  in  a  restaurant,  and  became  acquainted  with  Frank  Greene, 
a  photographer,  a  brother  of  Comrade  W.  C.  Greene,  and  went  with  him  to 
learn  the  trade,  and  consequently  was  enlisted  as  an  "artist"  by  occupation. 
While  working  for  Greene,  the  Presidential  election  occurred,  and  he  cast 
his  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  when  he  lacked  two  months  of  being  of 
age.  He  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  April  16,  1861,  and  served  three 
months  at  Cairo,  "drilling,  log-rolling,  cleaning  drill  ground,  fighting 
mosquitoes  and  malaria."  When  he  enlisted  he  thought  it  was  for  the  war, 
but  when  three  months  were  up  he  discovered  his  time  was  also  up,  and  on 
July  1 6  he  re-enlisted  with  the  company  for  three  years.  He  was  one  of  the 
expedition  that  went  to  Mexico,  Mo.,  returning  to  Cairo  shortly  before  our 
departure  from  that  place  to  occupy  Paducah,  Ky.  At  Paducah  he  was 
taken  sick  with  typhoid  pneumonia,  and  was  in  the  hospital  there  until  dis- 
charged for  disability  Jan.  28,  1862.  After  his  discharge  he  returned  to 
Adams  and  Pike  Counties,  where  his  relatives  lived.  After  regaining  suffi- 


SAMUEL  W.   BUTTERFIELD. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  ".4."  119 


cient  strength  to  work,  he  again  went  to  farming,  which  he  followed  until 
he  moved  to  Denver,  having  lived  in  Illinois,  Missouri  and  Colorado.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Keel  Feb.  15,  1863,  and  she  has  been  his 
faithful  partner  and  helpmeet  ever  since.  Her  guiding  star  has  been  duty  to 
home  and  friends,  and  she  has  been  an  active  and  earnest  worker  in  the 
Woman's  Relief  Corps  ranks.  They  have  three  sons  and  one  married 
daughter,  living  on  a  homestead  in  Northern  Nebraska.  They  have  two 
grandchildren.  When  he  went  to  Denver  he  lived  in  Barmim,  one  of  the 
suburbs,  and  was  Town  Clerk  of  that  suburb  nearly  two  years,  when  it  be- 
came a  part  of  the  city  of  Denver.  Then  he  took  up  shoemaking  and  cob- 
bling until  June,  1898,  when  he  was  appointed  Assistant  Adjutant  General 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Department  of  Colorado  and  Wyoming.  His  time  will  ex- 
pire this  spring.  He  does  not  expect  a  reappointment.  He  is  "poor  but 
honest,"  and  has  no  income  except  a  $6  per  month  pension  and  what  he 
earns,  but  coming  of  righteous  parents,  and  profiting  by  their  precepts  and 
example,  he  believes  in  a  sure  promise  for  the  future. 

HORACE  W.  CHASE. 

No  member  of  Battery  "A"  enjoyed  to  a  greater  extent  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  comrades  in  arms  than  Horace  W.  Chase.  He  was  born 
July  i,  1835,  in  Hunter,  Green  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  there  reared  and 
educated,  receiving  during  youth  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  lumber  business 
in  the  yards  and  mills  of  his  father,  Charles  Chase.  His  ancestors  were  from 
Massachusetts,  of  an  old  colonial  family.  He  came  to  Chicago  and  was 
tendered  the  position  of  foreman  in  the  lumber  yards  of  Larned  &  Chase, 
the  junior  member  of  the  firm  being  the  elder  brother  of  Horace  W.  He 
accepted  the  responsible  position  and  at  once  entered  upon  his  duties  and 
thus  continued  until  1861,  faithfully  discharging  his  duties  and  acquiring 
much  practical  knowledge  of  the  lumber  trade  in  the  bustling  and  enter- 
prising market  of  Chicago.  In  fact,  the  foundation  of  his  knowledge  of  the 
lumber  business  was  gained  during  this  period,  though  the  ripening  and 
fruiting  seasons  of  his  energetic  life  were  yet  to  come.  When  the  govern- 
ment was  plunged  into  war  and  all  patriotic  men  were  urged  to  come  for- 
ward and  maintain  the  Union  of  the  States,  the  stirring  call  met  with  a 
quick,  responsive  answer  from  Horace,  and  April  19,  1861,  he  promptly 
tendered  his  services  as  a  private,  and  enlisted  in  Company  "A,"  Chicago 
Light  Artillery,  served  three  months,  then  he  re-enlisted  for  three  years 
and  served  with  his  command  until  July  16,  1864,  when  he  was  mustered 
out  at  Springfield,  111.,  and  honorably  discharged  from  the  service.  He 
served  in  all  the  engagements  of  the  battery  and  filled  the  important  position 
of  Commissary  of  the  company  all  through  the  service,  in  a  highly  creditable 
and  satisfactory  manner.  He  at  once  returned  to  Chicago  after  receiving 


HENRY  BURDICK. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  tlA."  121 

his  discharge,  and  purchased  a  small  interest  in  the  lumber  firm  of  Howard 
&  Chase,  at  the  same  time  assuming  the  duties  of  a  responsible  position  with 
the  firm,  for  which  he  drew  a  salary  until  1867,  when  he  became  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  D.  F.  Chase  &  Brother,  with  yards  at  Halsted  street 
bridge.    A  strong,  yet  safe  and  conservative  business  was  conducted  by  the 
brothers  from  1867  to  1872,  when  D.  F.  Chase  withdrew  from  the  firm  and 
D.  S.  Pate  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  and  the  style  of  the  company  became 
Chase  &  Pate.    May  i,  1892,  Mr.  Chase  withdrew  from  the  firm  and  retired 
from  active  business.    He  w7as  one  of  Chicago's  most  public-spirited  citizens, 
and  heartily  co-operated  in  all  undertakings  that  were  for  the  good  of  the 
city,  and  especially  of  his  old  comrades  of  the  Battery  Association.     Mr. 
Chase  was  a  man  of  simple  tastes  and  domestic  habits,  warm-hearted  and 
generous,  enjoying  his  family  and  home.     His  life  was  full  of  earnest  and 
valuable  exertion,  and  it  seems  to  all  who  knew  him  to  be  a  strange  dis- 
pensation of  Providence  that  he  should  have  endured  three  years  and  three 
months  of  the  dangers,  privations  and  exposure  of  army  life  unscathed,  and 
passed  through  thirty-two  years  of  active  and  successful  business  life,  with 
the  brightest  prospects  for  a  comfortable  and  pleasant  old  age,  to  be  stricken 
down  suddenly,  as  he  was,  from  a  malignant  carbuncle  on  the  neck,  attacking 
the  brain.     Death  claimed  him  Sept.  6,  1896,  after  an  illness  of  but  a  week. 
He  resided  in  a  pleasant  and  commodious  home  at  3226  South  Park  avenue, 
and  attended  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas'  People's  Church.    He  was  a  Master  Mason, 
was  a  stanch  Republican,  a  member  of  Geo.  H.  Thomas  Post,  No.  5,  G. 
A.  R.,  and  belonged  to  Battery  "A"  Veteran  Association,  of  which  he  was 
and  had  been  Treasurer  for  many  years.    He  was  also  President  of  the  "Cairo 
Expedition  Survivors'  Association."     He  was  first  married  in  1872  to  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Tebbetts,  by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Volney  H.  and  Eleanor 
E.    His  wife  died  Oct.  23,  1883.    In  March,  1885,  he  wedded  Miss  Anna  L. 
Odlin,  a  native  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  \vho,  with  the  two  children,  survive  him. 
His  funeral  was  largely  attended  by  his  business  associates,  friends  and  old 
army  comrades.    In  his  death  the  city  lost  one  of  her  most  valuable  citizens, 
his  family  a  kind  protector,  husband  and  father,  and  his  memory  will  always 
be  cherished  by  those  who  knew  him  well. 

MORRIS  A.  CHITTENDEN. 

Morris  A.  Chittenden  was  born  Feb.  8,  1841,  at  Carthage,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  lived  till  1855,  when  he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Park  Ridge,  111.,  a 
suburb  of  Chicago.  After  his  school  days  were  over  he  served  his  time  with 
his  father  at  the  cooper's  trade.  He  was  working  as  a  carpenter  and  builder 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  at  Chi- 
cago the  latter  part  of  June,  1861,  and  was  mustered  into  the  three  years' 
service  the  i6th  of  July  following.  He  served  his  full  time,  first  as  can- 


JACOB  CLTNGMAN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  123 


nonier,  then  as  postillion,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield,  111.,  July  25, 
1864.  He,  with  Harry  Spaulding,  was  one  of  the  boys  that  helped  to  save 
squad  two's  gun  and  get  it  off  the  field  at  Shiloh,  amidst  a  hot  fire  of  mus- 
ketry at  close  range.  After  his  discharge  from  the  army  he  followed  the 
trade  of  carpenter  and  builder  till  April,  1889,  when,  losing  the  sight  of  his 
right  eye  from  the  effects  of  an  accidental  shot  in  the  forehead  at  Memphis, 
when  Wm.  Kirk  discharged  the  gun  loaded  with  canister  in  the  camp  by 
mistake.  He  was  in  danger  of  losing  the  other  eye,  and  was  obliged  to  give 
up  work  requiring  its  steady,  close  use.  He  moved  to  Kansas  and  located  on 
a  small  fruit  and  vegetable  farm  three  miles  southwest  of  Atchison,  where 
he  still  lives.  He  married  Miss  Emma  J.  Dunphey,  of  Chicago,  June  16, 
1867,  and  has  four  children;  two  boys  and  two  girls,  and  they  are  living  a 
life  of  quiet  and  contentment  in  their  comfortable  Western  home. 

WILLIAM  H.  COWLIN. 

The  city  of  Tiverton,  Devonshire,  England,  is  the  native  place  of 
William  H.  Cowlin,  one  of  the  youngest  and  most  esteemed  members  of 
the  battery.  He  was  born  Nov.  19,  1844,  and  lived  in  his  native  city  until 
ten  years  of  age.  He  then  came  with  his  parents  to  America,  who  settled 
in  Chicago,  where  they  resided  for  three  years.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  a  portion  of  this  time.  From  Chicago  the  family  moved  to  Franklin- 
ville,  111.,  where  William  H.  partly  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade  with  his 
father.  When  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  he  started  out  for  himself  and 
began  clerking  in  a  boot  and  shoe  store  in  Woodstock,  at  which  he  was 
engaged  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  Though  but  a  little  over  seventeen 
years  old,  he  enlisted  in  the  battery  at  Woodstock,  Feb.  3,  1862.  He  was 
with  the  battery  from  the  time  of  his  enlistment  until  taken  prisoner  at 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  in  July,  1864.  Until  that  time  he  was  never  absent  a  day,  nor 
in  hospital  a  moment,  and  was  in  every  engagement  and  skirmish,  as  can- 
nonier,  being  No.  3  in  squad  6,  with  the  exception  of  during  the  battle  of 
Shiloh,  when  he  was  put  into  squad  4  and  given  the  position  of  No.  2,  which 
he  filled  till  the  close  of  that  battle,  having  never  drilled  with  the  battery  but 
twice  before.  When  captured  at  Atlanta  he,  with  seventeen  other  comrades, 
was  taken  to  Andersonville  prison.  He  was  reported  as  badly  wounded. 
While  fourteen  of  those  taken  prisoner  with  him  were  exchanged  in  less  than 
six  weeks,  he,  with  Thomas  Wilcox,  of  the  battery,  was  held  a  prisoner  in 
Andersonville  and  other  rebel  prisons  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  dis- 
charged to  date  from  June  12,  1865,  by  order  of  the  War  Department  mus- 
tering out  all  who  had  been  prisoners  of  war,  but  he  was  not  furnished  with 
his  discharge,  and  was  still  in  the  service  till  August  5,  1865.  For  about 
six  months  after  his  discharge  he  was  an  invalid  from  the  effects  of  his  prison 


ED.   D.  CLARK. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  125 

life.  He  then  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with  a  partner,  and  was  doing 
well,  but  on  account  of  continued  ill  health  he  was  obliged  to  give  it  up  and 
sell  out  his  interest.  He  was  confined  to  his  home  for  three  months,  and, 
when  able,  engaged  in  the  photograph  business  with  a  practical  pho- 
tographer for  a  partner,  at  Jefferson,  Wis.  His  poor  health  continued,  and 
in  less  than  a  year  he  was  forced  to  give  it  up.  Returning  to  Woodstock  in 
1869,  he  established  himself  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  in  that  city,  and, 
with  partners,  continued  it  for  twelve  years,  doing  an  extensive  and  pros- 
perous business.  During  the  last  three  years  he  was  in  the  firm  he  sold 
goods  on  the  road  for  the  extensive  boot  and  shoe  firm  of  Selz,  Schwab 
&  Co.,  of  Chicago,  his  territory  embracing  Northern  Illinois  and  several 
counties  in  Southern  Wisconsin.  He  had- never  recovered  his  health  and 
was  compelled  to  quit  traveling  and  close  out  his  interest  in  the  store.  For 
nearly  two  years  he  was  confined  to  his  home,  much  of  the  time  bedridden. 
While  still  an  invalid  his  wife,  whom  he  married  in  October,  1869,  died,  after 
an  illness  of  several  months.  She  was  Miss  §usan  M.  Whitson,  a  sister  of 
Comrade  Oscar  Whitson,  of  our  battery.  Three  sons  were  left  him  by  this 
marriage,  two  of  whom  are  married.  He  has  four  grandchildren.  His 
youngest  son,  Oscar,  served  in  Company  "G,"  Third  Illinois  Infantry,  all 
through  the  late  war  with  Spain.  That  he  is  a  "chip  of  the  old  block,"  or, 
more  elegantly  speaking,  a  "worthy  son  of  a  noble  sire,"  will  be  seen  when 
it  can  be  said  of  him  he  was  never  absent  from  his  command  nor  sick  a  day 
during  his  more  than  eight  months'  service,  several  months  of  which  were 
spent  in  Porto  Rico. 

The  condition  of  Comrade  Cowlin's  health  convinced  him  that  he  could 
never  again  take  up  active  work  or  business  requiring  any  physical  exertion, 
and,  being  determined  to  do  something  to  occupy  his  time,  and  help  support 
his  family,  he  began  studying  the  pension  laws,  and  those  pertaining  to 
other  government  business,  and  in  less  than  two  years  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  all  the  government  bureaus  in  Washington.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  this  profession,  and  has  worked  up  an  extensive  business,  reaching 
into  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  although  his  old  disability,  contracted 
at  Andersonville,  still  clings  to  him,  and  at  different  times  has  nearly  cost 
him  his  life.  His  office  is  at  his  residence,  and  has  been  since  engaging  in 
the  pension  business,  and  it  is  well  known,  far  and  near,  as  "Wm.  H.  Cow- 
lin's War  Claim  Agency."  Sept.  30,  1888,  he  married  a  second  time  to  Eliza 
Boutelle,  of  Kensett,  Iowa,  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife.  They  have  one  daugh- 
ter, four  years  old. 

He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  Grand  Army  matters,  and  has  ably  and 
vigorously  conducted  the  "Veterans'  Column"  in  the  Woodstock  Sentinel, 
the  leading  Republican  newspaper  of  McHenry  County,  for  fifteen  years,  a 
voluntary  task,  which  few  in  his  physical  condition  would  care  to  assume. 


NATHAN  T.  COX. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  127 

JOHN  T.  CONNELL. 

The  light  of  day  first  shone  upon  the  eyes  of  John  T.  Connell,  at  Water- 
town,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  i,  1832.  After  obtaining  a  school  education  he  began 
clerking  in  a  store,  and  continued  until  1854,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and 
worked  as  shipping  clerk  for  A.  T.  Spencer  &  Co.  (Western  Transportation 
Co.).  He  was  working  for  I.  J.  Rice  in  the  spring  of  1861,  and  was  down 
town  after  goods  when  the  news  came  of  the  assault  on  the  Massachusetts 
troops  in  Baltimore,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist  in  old  Battery  "A"  when 
the  roll  was  opened.  He  served  three  months,  then  re-enlisted  July  16,  1861, 
for  three  years.  He  was  with  the  battery  in  every  engagement  while  he  was 
in  the  service,  including  the  famous  "Calloway  March,"  mentioned  in  the 
history.  He,  with  Church,  Hoffman  and  Young,  while  in  camp  at  Paducah, 
built  a  comfortable  brick  house  for  their  squad,  Connell  acting  as  boss  brick- 
layer, while  the  others  mixed  the  mortar  and  carried  the  hod.  They  had 
no  more  than  settled  themselves  in  their  new  quarters,  prepared  to  take 
comfort,  when  camp  was  broken  up  and  we  took  the  field  for  Forts  Henry, 
Heiman,  Donelson,  etc.  During  the  engagement  at  Fort  Donelson,  Moses 
Hawks,  who  was  thumbing  on  the  same  gun  with  Connell,  was  hit  on  the 
arm  with  a  spent  ball  and  disabled.  Connell  took  his  place  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  engagement.  They  were  using  double  charges  of  canister 
with  telling  effect.  Connell  suggested  to  Captain  Wood  that  their  canister 
would  not  last  much  longer,  and  he  ordered  a  shrapnel  and  canister  for  each 
load,  with  fuse  of  shrapnel  cut  close.  Toward  the  last  of  the  fight  they 
ceased  firing  for  a  moment.  When  orders  were  given  for  action,  Fred 
Church  sang  out,  '"Load!"  John  Steele,  No.  I,  replied,  "There  is  a  charge 
in."  Church  thought  he  said,  "They  are  charging  us,"  and  answered  "Let 

them  charge  and  be  d ;  load."    So  down  went  another  charge,  and  the 

result  of  firing  this  triple  charge  was  a  graceful  somersault  by  most  of  the 
gun  squad,  and  Comrade  Connell  has  been  totally  deaf  in  his  right  ear  ever 
since,  and  he  is  quite  hard  of  hearing  with  his  left.  When  the  battery  reached 
Memphis,  General  J.  D.  Webster  was  appointed  commander  of  the  post. 
He  sent  an  order  for  Comrade  Connell  to  come  to  his  headquarters,  and 
appointed  him  his  private  secretary,  which  position  he  held  until  General 
Webster  was  superseded  by  General  Hovey.  He  continued  with  General 
Hovey  until  Colonel  D.  C.  Anthony  was  appointed  Provost  Marshal,  and 
he  was  his  deputy  until  the  battery  had  orders  to  move,  first  on  the  Cold- 
water  expedition,  and  down  the  Mississippi  later.  Connell  left  the  office 
without  orders,  and  with  a  good  horse  rode  after,  caught  up  with  and  joined 
the  battery.  On  the  return  of  the  battery  to  Memphis  from  the  expedition 
he  returned  to  the  office,  but  made  frequent  visits  to  the  battery  camp.  The 
battery  boys  had  all  doors  of  the  Provost  Marshal's  office  open  to  them 
while  Comrade  Connell  was  in  charge,  and  none  of  them  abused  the  privi- 


HORACE  W.  CHASE. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '  A."  129 

lege.  When  the  battery  went  up  to  Arkansas  Post  Comrade  Connell  was  in 
no  condition  for  hard  service,  and  Captain  Wood  ordered  him  to  remain 
on  the  boat,  but  when  the  last  caisson  went  off  the  boat  he  was  on  it  and 
took  part  in  the  fight  the  next  day.  At  Vicksburg  he  had  charge  of  the  detail 
that  was  sent  to  the  landing  to  get  the  guns  of  a  new  battery  that  were  as 
signed  to  our  company  by  General  Sherman,  and  bring  them  into  camp. 
After  being  mustered  out  as  corporal  at  Springfield,  111.,  his  three  years'  en- 
listment having  expired,  he  visited  a  short  time  in  Chicago,  then  went  to  his 
old  home  in  New  York,  intending  to  return  to  Chicago,  but  was  persuaded 
by  his  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  to  remain,  which  he  did,  until  1884. 
During  this  time  he  was  engaged  in  a  store,  in  insurance  business,  and  on 
the  road  six  years  selling  dry  goods,  etc.  In  1884  he  came  West,  and  has 
resided  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  since,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the  grocery 
and  real  estate  business.  He  married  Miss  Gertrude  Horr,  in  Carthage,  N. 
Y.,  Jan.  9,  1866.  They  have  no  children.  Mrs.  Connell  is  an  active  worker 
in  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps  in  the  State  of  Nebraska.  She  has  served  as 
Department  Treasurer  four  years,  Department  Secretary  one  year,  and  De- 
partment President  one  year,  Deputy  Counselor  one  year  and  member  of 
National  Executive  Board  one  year,  a  worthy  helpmeet  to  a  noble,  patriotic 
husband. 

THADDEUS  STEVENS  CLARKSON. 

One  of  the  most  esteemed  members  of  Battery  "A"  is  Thaddeus  S. 
Clarkson.  He  was  born  at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  April  26,  1840.  When  eight 
years  old  he  moved  to  near  Antietam,  Md.  He  was  educated  at  College  of 
St.  James,  Washington  County,  Md.,  near  Antietam,  graduating  in  1857, 
when  he  moved  to  Chicago,  and  became  a  resident  of  the  future  great  city 
of  the  United  States.  He  was  clerking  in  a  commission  house  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war,  but  threw  up  his  position  and  enlisted  in  Battery  "A," 
April  1 6,  1861,  in  which  battery  he  served  as  private,  corporal  and  sergeant, 
re-enlisting  July  16,  1861,  for  three  years.  Dec.  i,  1861,  he  was  honorably 
discharged  to  accept  a  commission  as  First  Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  in  the 
Thirteenth  Illinois  Cavalry.  He  was  promoted  in  November,  1863,  to 
Major  of  the  Third  Arkansas  Cavalry,  and  resigned  in  December,  1864, 
Since  the  close  of  the  war  he  has  been  in  active  business  in  Nebraska.  He 
was  appointed  postmaster  at  Omaha  by  President  Harrison,  and  served 
very  acceptably  from  1890  to  1895.  Genial,  warm-hearted  and  brave,  he 
naturally  takes  a  great  interest  in  his  old  comrades,  and  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  the  Republic.  He  was  Department  Commander  of  Nebraska  in  1890, 
Junior  Vice  Commander-in-chief  in  1891,  and  was  elected  Commander-in- 
chief  at  the  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  National  Encampment,  in  September,  1896, 
serving  until  September,  1897.  In  all  these  positions  he  showed  remarkable 


MORRIS  A.  CHITTENDEN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 


executive  ability,  and  when  the  Trans-Mississippi  and  International  Expo- 
sition was  organized  in  1898  he  was  chosen  as  General  Manager,  the  exposi- 
tion continuing  from  June  to  November.  He  was  married  Nov.  11,  1862,  at 
Chicago,  111.,  to  Mary  B.  Matteson,  and  they  live  with  one  son  in  Omaha, 
Neb.  They  have  three  daughters  and  five  grandchildren.  He  is  in  the 
enjoyment  of  perfect  health,  and  a  long  life  of  happiness  and  prosperity  is 
wished  for  him  by  all  his  old  comrades  and  associates. 

JAMES  F.  CROCKER. 

One  of  the  "older  boys"  of  the  battery  is  James  F.  Crocker,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  who  is  now  an  inmate  of  the  new  Soldier's  Home  at 
Danville,  111.  He  was  born  in  Nantncket,  Oct.  i,  1829,  where  he  lived  until 
eleven  years  old,  when  he  moved  with  his  father  to  Cayuga  County,  New 
York,  where  he  had  purchased  a  farm.  He  lived  at  home,  working  summers 
and  attending  the  district  school  winters,  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  He 
was  then  apprenticed  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade,  at  which  he  was  working 
when  the  war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  as  private,  in  August, 
1861,  at  Cairo,  having  first  served  three  months  in  the  Twelfth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  remained  with  it  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  in 
August,  1864.  He  worked  at  his  trade  after  the  war,  when,  losing  his  wife 
and  becoming  broken  down  in  health,  he  went  to  the  Soldier's  Home  in 
Milwaukee,  where  he  remained  until  the  opening  of  the  new  home  at  Dan- 
ville. He  has  a  grown  son  and  daughter  living.  Through  a  similarity  in 
names.  Comrade  Crocker  was  reported  by  the  authorities  of  the  Soldiers' 
Home  at  Quincy,  111.,  as  dead,  and  suitable  memorial  resolutions  were 
passed  by  our  Veteran  Association,  but  he  turned  up  alive  and  well. 

GEORGE  COOPER. 

George  Cooper  was  born  at  Olcott,  near  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  in  1834.  He 
lived  in  his  native  town  till  nine  years  of  age.  His  father  was  then  elected 
Sheriff  of  Niagara  County,  and  moved  to  Lockport.  After  his  father's  term 
of  office  expired,  he  purchased  and  moved  onto  a  farm,  and  George  worked 
on  the  farm  summers  and  attended  school  winters.  After  a  few  years  of 
farming  his  father  sold  the  farm  and  again  moved  to  Lockport  and  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business.  George  clerked  for  his  father  till  he  came  West, 
settling  in  Chicago,  entering  the  service  of  Long  John  Wentworth,  with 
whom  he  was  engaged  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  enlisted  in  Bat- 
tery "A"  April  21,  1861,  and  served  three  months,  when  he  was  mustered 
out.  He  was  a  popular  bailiff  in  the  Cook  County  courts  for  .many  years. 
He  died  in  Chicago,  Dec.  17,  1887.  He  married  Miss  Romelia  Sanders,  June 
28,  1866,  who  survives  him. 


WILLIAM  H.  COWLIN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  133 

ENOCH  COLBY,  JR. 

/ 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  the  most  reliable  and  well-known 

members  of  the  battery.  He  was  born  in  Camptonville,  N.  H.,  Dec.  6,  1840, 
where  he  lived  till  May,  1854,  when  his  father  moved  with  his  family  to  Port 
Hope,  Canada  West,  remaining  there  one  year,  during  which  time  Enoch 
worked  with  his  father  building  railroad  bridges.  In  May,  1855,  the  family 
came  to  Illinois,  where  they  have  since  lived.  He  was  working  on  a  farm  at 
Arcola  when  the  war  broke  out,  and  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  at 
Cairo,  Aug.  I,  1861.  He  re-enlisted  as  veteran  volunteer  at  Bellfont,  Ala., 
Jan.  i,  1864,  was  appointed  quartermaster  sergeant  in  July  following.  In 
September  he  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  battery,  and  in 
May,  1865,  was  made  First  Lieutenant.  He  has  a  record  of  service  of  which 
any  old  soldier  might  well  be  proud.  He  never  missed  a  march,  skirmish  or 
battle  in  which  the  battery  took  part  from  his  enlistment  to  the  close  of  the 
war,  was  never  wounded  or  sick,  nor  an  hour  in  hospital,  during  his  entire 
service.  He  was  mustered  out  in  Chicago  at  the  close  of  the  war,  July  10, 
1865.  He  married  Miss  Amelia  A.  Hawley  April  2,  1865,  while  home  on 
veteran  furlough,  and  they  now  live  in  a  snug,  comfortable  home  at  64  37th 
street,  Chicago.  They  have  no  children,  and,  as  he  says,  "never  had  any, 
therefore  have  no  grandchildren."  He  has  been  principally  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  since  the  war,  as  foreman  of  elevators,  buying  grain,  etc., 
and  for  ten  years  prior  to  1893  was  State  Grain  Inspector  in  Chicago. 

JOHN  D.  DYER. 

Very  few  of  the  members  were  born  south  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 
Prominent  among  those  that  were  is  John  D.  Dyer.  He  was  born  in  Spring- 
field, Ky.,  April  25,  1838,  and  lived  there  till  thirteen  years  old,  when  he  went 
to  Newport,  R.  I.,  where  he  remained  at  school  four  years,  and  came  to 
Chicago  in  1855,  which  city  has  since  been  his  home,  excepting  a  few  years 
spent  in  DeKalb  County.  He  enlisted  April  19,  1861,  in  Chicago,  and  re- 
enlisted  July  16,  1861,  for  three  years.  He  had  the  lead  team  on  the  caisson  of 
squad  one  for  the  entire  latter  term,  and  he  is  justly  proud  of  his  service,  which 
was  always  promptly  and  fearlessly  performed.  He  was  mustered  out  at  the 
end  of  his  term  of  enlistment  July  23,  1864.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Abbie 
E.  Wood,  of  DeKalb  County,  in  November,  1867.  They  have  two  sons, 
George  W.  and  William  H.,  worthy  and  industrious  young  men,  who  are 
now  engaged  in  the  market  and  grocery  business  with  their  father  at  1267 
East  Ravenswood  Park,  Chicago.  At  the  close  of  the  war  John  was  check 
clerk  for  six  months  in  the  city,  for  the  American  Express  Company,  then 
was  messenger  on  the  road  for  the  same  company  five  years,  was  salesman 
for  A.  M.  Thomson,  Western  Coffee  Mills,  about  four  years,  and  on  a  farm 


JOHN  T.  CONNELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  11A."  135 


in  DeKalb  County,  and  in  a  market  at  Sycamore  ten  years.  He  is  hale  and 
hearty,  and  enjoys  the  companionship  of  his  old  comrades  as  well  as  he  did 
in  the  old  war  days,  and  is  an  active  member  in  the  Battery  Veteran  Associa- 
tion. 

JAMES  M.  DUSENBERRY. 

James  M.  Dusenberry  is  a  native  of  of  Michigan,  and  was  born  in  1840. 
He  came  West  when  a  child,  and  lived  on  a  farm  at  Waukegan,  111.,  and  at- 
tended the  academy  there  until  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went 
into  the  grocery  business,  and  continued  in  it  until  1861.  The  war  fever 
growing  strong,  and  having  an  opportunity  to  dispose  of  his  store,  he  sold 
out  and  enlisted  in  the  three  months'  service  in  Captain  Ennis'  Infantry  Com- 
pany, at  Waukegan.  The  company  was  sent  to  Springfield,  111.,  where  he 
was  appointed  orderly  sergeant,  and  was  sergeant  of  the  guard  at  the  ar- 
senal during  the  three  months'  service.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  battery, 
serving  three  years,  holding  every  position  on  the  gun,  and  was  mustered 
out  after  the  fight  at  Atlanta,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  he  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  in  the  building" 
of  the  postoffice  for  four  years,  in  the  capacity  of  mechanical  engineer.  He 
went  to  New  York  in  1874,  and  went  into  the  electric  lighting  business  with 
the  Fuller  Electric  Co.,  and  was  with  them  ten  years.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time,  he  went  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  bought  the  Richelieu  Hotel,  which 
he  refitted  and  furnished,  and  was  its  proprietor  for  fourteen  years.  He  has 
a  wife,  but  no  children,  and  is  now  located  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  where  he 
is  doing  well.  His  address  is  525  Front  street.  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

ALBERT  DIXSOX. 

The  Empire  State  can  claim  Albert  Dixson  as  her  native  son.  He  was 
born  in  East  Rush,  Monroe  County,  New  York,  August  22,  1830.  A  por- 
tion of  his  childhood  was  spent  in  Rush  and  with  an  uncle  in  Flint,  Mich. 
He  came  to  Chicago  in  1853,  remaining  till  1856,  when  he  went  to  Califor- 
nia. The  bustle  and  activity  of  Chicago  being  more  to  his  liking,  he  returned 
there  in  1859,  and  followed  his  trade,  which  was  the  painting  business.  He 
enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  in  Chicago  Aug.  22,  1861,  and  served  faith- 
fully with  the  company,  participating  in  all  its  battles,  until  Dec.  23,  1863, 
when  he  was  discharged  for  disability  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  Recovering  his 
health,  he  re-enlisted  as  private  in  the  Twenty-fourth  New  York  Cavalry  in 

1864,  ancl  was  afterwards  appointed  quartermaster  sergeant,  and  served  with 
that  command  till  the  close  of  the  war.    He  has  been  engaged  in  the  painting 
business  since  the  war.    He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Young  Sept,  21  r 

1865.  She  died  at  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  12,  1897.    They  had  no  children.    He 
is  now  living  a  widower  at  321  North  Clinton  street,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


MRS.  JOHN  T.  CONNELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  137 


JAMES  B.  DUTCH. 

During  the  last  year  of  the  war  Battery  "A"  was  composed  of  members 
of  Batteries  "A"  and  "B,"  who,  at  the  time  of  the  mustering  out  of  the  three- 
year  men,  had  only  served  about  two  years,  thus  forming  what  was  known 
as  the  "consolidated,"  or  new,  Battery  "A."  Among  those  who  joined  from 
Battery  "B"  was  James  B.  Dutch.  He  enlisted  in  Taylor's  Battery  "B"  in 
Chicago,  Aug.  5,  1862,  as  private,  was  promoted  to  sergeant,  and  after  con- 
solidation \vas  elected  Lieutenant,  and  served  about  one  year,  or  till  the  close 
of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  July  10,  1865.  The  consolidated  battery  did 
some  hard  fighting,  and  had  its  first  severe  engagement  at  Atlanta  only  ten 
days  after  it  was  organized.  They  went  into  the  fight  with  only  two  officers. 
One  was  killed,  and  the  other,  with  twenty-five  men,  was  captured  and  sent 
to  Andersonville.  Four  of  their  guns  were  captured,  but  were  afterwards  re- 
taken. They  immediately  drew  a  new  battery  and  had  another  sharp  engage- 
ment with  the  rebels  on  July  28,  only  six  days  after.  James  was  born  in  New 
York  City  June  I,  1839.  He  lived  in  his  native  city  until  eight  years  old, 
when  he  came  to  Chicago,  which  city  has  since  been  his  home.  In  1861  he 
\vas  captain  of  a  tug  boat  in  the  harbor  of  Chicago.  After  the  war  he  returned 
home  and  began  business  on  the  Board  of  Trade,  at  which  he  is  still  en- 
gaged. He  married  Miss  Mary  H.  Stout  and  has  two  children.  His  home  is 
at  6637  Parnell  avenue,  Chicago. 

JOHN  BATTERSBY  DAY. 

The  United  States  Volunteer  Army,  during  the  civil  war,  contained  no 
more  patriotic  and  loyal  a  native  son  than  John  B.  Day,  a  native  of  Dublin, 
Ireland,  but  a  full-blooded,  ardent  American  citizen  by  adoption.  He  was 
born  Dec.  25,  1842.  His  days  of  boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  in  New  York 
City  and  Gambier,  Ohio,  attending  school.  He  came  to  Chicago  and  was 
clerking  in  the  postoffice  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment  as  private  in  the  bat- 
tery, July  16,  1861.  He  served  three  years,  faithfully  and  creditably,  and  was 
mustered  out  July  24,  1864.  He  was  a  clerk  for  some  time  after  the  war,  but 
latterly  has  cultivated  a  farm  in  Bedford,  N.  Y.,  where  he  lives  in  comfort  and 
contentment  with  his  mother  and  sisters,  and  is  an  "old  bachelor,"  as  he  ex- 
presses it,  but  his  old  comrades  cannot  think  of  him  in  any  other  light  than 
the  young,  genial,  warm-hearted,  and  brave  John  B.  Day. 

JAMES  G.  EASTWOOD. 

James  G.  Eastwood  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  County,  New  York,  Aug. 
4.  1844,  which  date  places  him  among  the  youngest  members  of  the  bat- 
tery. He  lived  in  the  State  of  New  York  till  about  ten  years  of  age,  and  from 
that  time  until  he  entered  the  United  States  service  he  lived  in  Woodstock, 


THADDEUS  STEVENS  CLARKSON. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  ^A .  "  1 39 


111.  He  was  a  student  at  Todd's  Seminary  at  Woodstock  when  the  war 
broke  out.  Leaving  his  studies  he  enlisted  as  private  in  Battery  "A,"  at 
Woodstock,  Feb.  3,  1862,  and  immediately  joined  the  battery  in  the  field. 
He  served  his  full  term  of  enlistment  faithfully  and  honorably,  and  was  not 
in  the  hospital  or  unfit  for  duty  more  than  a  day  or  two  at  a  time  during  his 
entire  service.  He  was  promoted  to  corporal  in  the  winter  of  1864,  and  was 
mustered  out  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment.  Returning  to  his  home 
after  his  discharge  he  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  grocery  store,  and  later  went 
into  business  for  himself  in  Chicago,  dealing  in  cigars  and  tobacco  for  about 
three  years.  He  then  went  to  Indianapolis  and  had  charge  of  a  news  and 
cigar  stand  in  a  large  hotel.  About  1877  he  returned  to  Woodstock  and 
again  resumed  the  cigar,  tobacco  and  news  business,  where  he  remained  till 
the  spring  of  1880,  when  he  secured  an  appointment  in  the  Census  Bureau 
then  being  organized,  remaining  till  the  census  was  completed,  when  he  re- 
ceived an  appointment  in  the  Adjutant  General's  office  in  the  War  Depart- 
ment at  Washington,  where  he  remained  till  1889,  when,  on  account  of 
failing  health,  he  was  compelled  to  resign.  He  was  married  to  Marie  C. 
Schuyler,  June  16,  1886.  A  daughter  was  born  to  them  Oct.  16,  1888,  who 
was  named  Katherine,  both  surviving  him.  He  died  in  Washington,  Aug. 
8,  1890,  having  been  entirely  helpless  for  about  a  year  previous.  The  dis- 
ease which  caused  his  death  was  easily  traced  to  his  army  service,  it  having 
troubled  him  when  discharged,  gradually  growing  worse  till  death  relieved 
him  of  his  sufferings.  As  a  soldier,  citizen,  husband  and  father,  Comrade 
Eastwood  was  brave,  faithful,  loving,  steadfast  and  true.  He  served  his 
country  long  and  well,  as  became  a  brave  man,  dying  while  yet  compara- 
tively young,  from  causes  resulting  from  his  service. 

FREDERICK  A.  EMORY. 

Sixty-nine  years  ago,  in  the  quiet  Quaker  City  on  the  Delaware,  Fred- 
erick A.  Emory  was  born.  When  he  was  but  two  years  old  he  lost  his  father 
and  was  sent  to  live  with  an  uncle  in  New  Jersey,  with  whom  he  lived  till 
ten  years  old,  when  he  returned  to  Philadelphia.  He  started  to  learn  the 
carpenter  trade,  at  which  he  worked  three  weeks.  This  work  not  being  to 
his  liking  he  went  to  sea  and  grew  to  become  a  sailor.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  he  was  second  mate  of  a  ship.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  master  of 
the  schooner  ''Echo,"  running  between  Buffalo  and  Chicago,  and  earning  a 
salary  of  $95  a  month.  He  resigned  this  position  and  enlisted  in  the  battery  at 
$13  a  month  in  Chicago,  Aug.  i,  1862,  serving  until  July  10,  1865,  when  he 
was  mustered  out  at  Chicago,  the  war  having  closed.  He  was  made  corporal 
when  the  batteries  were  consolidated,  which  was  his  rank  when  discharged. 
He  was  in  every  battle  and  skirmish  in  which  the  battery  was  engaged  during 
his  service.  He  resumed  his  calling  as  sailor  after  the  war,  and  was  master  of 


ENOCH  COLBY,  JR. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  141 

sail  and  steam  vessels  all  over  the  great  chain  of  lakes  until  1895,  when  he  left 
the  lakes  and  is  now  master  of  a  tug  on  the  Nancemund  River.  He  holds  a 
government  license  as  master  and  pilot  on  all  the  lakes  and  bays,  and  rivers 
connected  with  them ;  also  Albemarle  and  Pamlico  sounds  and  all  tributaries 
of  North  Carolina  and  Hampton  Roads  and  Nancemond  River.  He  owns  a 
farm  of  fifty  acres  at  Magnolia,  Va.,  on  which  he  lives,  and  runs  with  his  tug 
on  the  river.  He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Kate  Caswell. 
His  present  wife  was  Miss  Mira  Marquett.  He  has  five  children.  He  still  has 
in  his  possession  a  book  presented  to  him  by  Fred  Church,  containing  the 
plays  performed  in  the  Larkinsville  Theater,  illustrated  by  Comrade  Church. 

DANIEL  R.  FARNHAM. 

The  second  victim  to  offer  up  his  life  as  a  sacrifice  to  his  country  on  the 
bloody  field  of  Shiloh  was  brave,  noble,  Christian  Daniel  R.  Farnham.  No 
member  was  more  universally  loved  and  honored  by  his  comrades  than  he. 
He  was  filling  a  lucrative  and  pleasant  position  as  bookkeeper  in  Chicago 
when  the  war  broke  out.  Throwing  this  up  and  taking  a  hasty  leave  of  his 
widowed  mother  and  sisters,  he  enlisted  as  private  in  Battery  "A,"  April 
19,  1861,  and  served  through  the  three  months'  term,  re-enlisting  for  three 
years  July  16  following,  and  served  faithfully  and  creditably  until  his  un- 
timely end.  He  was  born  in  Warsaw,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  31,  1834.  His  childhood 
and  youth  days  were  spent  in  Silver  Creek,  N.  Y.,  and  in  the  city  of  Buffalo, 
where  his  early  school  education  was  acquired.  He  came  West  when  a 
young  man,  and  located  in  Chicago.  He  was  fitted  by  education,  talents 
and  habits  for  the  highest  walks  of  business  and  social  life,  yet  when  his 
country  called  he  promptly  exchanged  the  comforts  of  home  and  the  bright 
prospects  of  the  future  for  the  hardships  of  a  private  soldier's  lot.  He  fell 
nobly  in  defense  of  the  old  flag,  and  his  memory  will  be  held  in  sweet  remem- 
brance by  all  his  old  comrades  and  friends.  His  remains  were  brought  to 
Chicago  and  laid  to  rest  in  Graceland  Cemetery.  His  name  is  among  those 
engraved  on  the  battery  monument  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery.  He  has  three 
sisters,  Louisa  M.  Farnham,  Mrs.  T.  R.  Albee  and  Mrs.  J.  I.  Stowell,  all  re- 
siding in  Chicago. 

WILLIAM  PITT  FOLLANSBEE. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  native  of  Chicago,  having  been  born 
in  that  city  Oct.  29,  1841.  His  parents  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Fol- 
lansbee,  who  were  among  Chicago's  most  prominent,  old  and  wealthy  fami- 
lies. He  always  lived  in  the  city  of  his  birth,  attending  her  schools  during  his 
boyhood  days.  After  leaving  school  he  was  engaged  as  salesman  for  C.  H. 
Beckwith,  wholesale  grocer,  and  was  so  occupied  when  the  war  began.  He 
left  his  situation  and  enlisted  as  private  in  Battery  "A,"  July  28,  1861.  He 


JOHN  D.  DYER. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  143 

was  with  the  battery  continuously,  taking  a  conspicuous  part  in  all  its  en- 
gagements until  mustered  out  at  the  expiration  -of  his  term  of  enlistment, 
July  25,  1864.  He  then  returned  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business  with  Lewis  F.  Jacobs,  also  a  member  of  the  battery,  both  having 
been  messmates  in  the  same  squad  throughout  the  war.  He  quit  this  busi- 
ness and  went  to  Larkspur,  Colo.,  where  he  purchased  a  large  ranch  and  em- 
barked in  the  cattle  business,  in  which  he  was  engaged  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  Feb.  25,  1876.  His  remains  were  brought  home  and 
buried  in  Graceland.  He  had  never  married.  His  mother  and  brothers  still 
live  in  Chicago. 

ORRINGTON  C.  FOSTER. 

Like  many  other  members  of  Battery  "A,"  O.  C.  Foster  was  a  native- 
born  Chicagoan.  From  six  to  twelve  years  of  age  he  attended  the  public 
schools  of  the  city.  He  afterwards  entered  the  Northwestern  University  at 
Evanston,  which  institution  he  left  to  enlist  in  the  battery  as  private  April  19, 
1861.  He  was  made  gunner  of  squad  five  at  the  attack  on  Jackson,  Miss. 
While  the  company  was  in  camp  at  Memphis  he,  with  others  of  his  squad, 
had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  an  accidental  death,  through  an  oversight  of 
one  of  the  officers.  They  were  sitting  at  the  squad  table  one  day  w-hen  clever, 
honest  Blacksmith  William  Kirk  innocently  fired  a  gun  loaded  with  canister, 
pointing  directly  toward  the  table.  The  battery  forge  and  a  big  mule  inter- 
vening received  the  charge  and  prevented  anything  more  serious  than  a 
good-sized  scare.  The  gun  had  been  used  on  the  river  below  Memphis,  and 
a  charge  that  was  not  fired  had  carelessly  been  left  in  the  gun.  Kirk  was  en- 
tertaining visitors  at  the  camp  at  the  time,  doing  the  honors  as  an  old  sol- 
dier. Wishing  to  show  them  how  firing  was  done,  he  inserted  a  friction 
primer  in  this  particular  gun  and  pulled  away.  Kirk,  who  was  of  a  decidedly 
dark  complexion,  was  fairly  pale  for  several  days,  as  a  result  of  his  demon- 
stration. Comrade  Foster  was  battery  bugler  in  the  early  part  of  the  war. 
He  was  appointed  corporal  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  He  served  creditably 
in  the  battery,  taking  part  in  all  its  engagements  until  July,  1864,  when  he 
was  mustered  out,  his  term  of  enlistment  having  expired.  He  was  an  active 
worker  socially  in  helping  to.  relieve  the  monotony  of  camp  life,  notably  as 
one  of  the  members  of  the  Larkinsville  Theater  Company,  improvised  by 
the  members  of  the  battery;  also  as  one  of  the  Kennedy  Glee  Club,  and  at 
the  challenge  concert  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  given  by  the  Jackson  citizens,  by 
request  of  several  Union  officers,  responding  alternately  to  songs  of  South- 
ern sentiment.  He  has  been  engaged  principally  since  the  war  in  the  rail- 
road business,  and  is  now  with  the  Northern  Milling  Co.  He  is  married  and 
has  three  children,  two  boys  and  one  girl,  and  lives  with  his  family  in  their 
pleasant  home  at  527  La  Salle  avenue,  Chicago. 


ALBERT  DIXSON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  145 


WILLIAM  FURNESS. 

As  loyal  to  the  State  of  his  nativity  in  his  maturer  years  as  he  was  to  the 
Union  in  the  days  of  his  younger  manhood,  is  William  Furness,  now  re- 
siding in  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  in  which  city  he  was  born  Jan.  i,  1831.  Here 
he  spent  his  childhood  days,  and  when  of  suitable  age  he  entered  Union 
College,  in  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  from  which  he  graduated  as  civil  engineer 
in  1852.  He  went  West  and  worked  one  year  at  his  profession,  in  Peoria, 
111.,  then  returned  home  and  engaged  in  the  insurance  business.  In  1861  he 
\vas  clerking  in  the  banking  and  insurance  office  of  B.  W.  Phillips  &  Co.  in 
Chicago,  and  left  his  position  to  enlist  as  private  in  Battery  "A,"  April  19, 
1861,  re-enlisting  July  16,  1861,  for  three  years,  serving  with  the  battery  at 
Cairo  and  Paducah,  Ky.  On  the  28th  of  January,  1862,  at  Paducah,  he  was 
discharged  from  the  service  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability,  from  sick- 
ness contracted  in  the  line  of  duty.  After  his  recovery  he  worked  at  differ- 
ent occupations.  For  four  years  he  was  in  the  government  employ  under 
the  alien  contract  labor  law  and  United  States  customs.  He  married  Miss 
Margaret  G.  Bird,  of  Peterboro,  Ont.,  in  1871.  They  have  two  grown-up 
sons  and  one  grandson,  A.  Wm.  Furness,  residing  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  and 
Gilbert  B.  Furness,  residing  at  Mandan,  North  Dakota.  He  is  Past  Com- 
mander of  Ransom  Post,  No.  354,  Department  of  New  York,  G.  A.  R.  At 
present  he  is  speculating  in  grain  and  stocks. 

EDWARD  P.  FISH. 

The  Empire  State  can  have  the  credit  of  furnishing  more  native  sons 
tor  members  of  Battery  "A"  than  any  other  State  in  the  Union,  excepting, 
of  course,  Illinois.  Prominent  among  these  is  Edward  P.  Fish.  He  was 
born  at  Clarkson,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  14,  1831,  and  lived  there  until  he  was  eleven 
years  old,  then  moved  with  his  parents  to  Lewiston,  N.  Y.,  where  they  lived 
four  years.  He  attended  school  two  years  at  Albion  and  Madison,  N.  Y. 
He  then  learned  the  tinsmith  trade,  at  which  he  worked  a  number  of  years. 
In  September,  1852,  he  went  to  Princeton,  111.,  remaining  there  till  1858. 
He  then  went  South,  where  he  remained  till  Jan.  26,  1861,  when  political 
matters,  partaking  too  much  of  the  nature  of  the  climate,  became  too  hot  for 
any  honest  Northern  man,  and  he  returned  to  Princeton  in  February  fol- 
lowing. He  had  not  taken  up  with  anything  permanent  when  the  war  broke 
out,  and  soon  after  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  75,000  men  he  recruited 
a  company  of  rifle  sharpshooters  and  offered  his  services  with  his  company 
to  Governor  Yates,  but  at  that  time  he  had  no  authority  to  accept  and  com- 
mission them,  and  they  disbanded,  scattering  about  in  other  organizations. 
Not  at  all  discouraged,  he  came  to  Chicago  and  enlisted  as  private  in  the 
battery  July  16,  1861.  He  participated  in  all  the  battles  and  engagements 
of  the  battery  during  his  term  of  service,  but  was  not  engaged  at  Shiloh, 


JAMES  B.  DUTCH. 


HISTORY  OF  EATERY  "A."  147 


which  has  always  been  a  source  of  regret  to  him,  as  he  came  of  true  fighting" 
stock,  and  never  shirked  a  duty  while  a  soldier.  Out  of  six  brothers  in  the 
family  five  of  them  were  in  the  Union  army  before  October,  1861.  No  draft 
by  Uncle  Sam  was  necessary  to  secure  the  services  of  such  defenders  as  the 
Fish  boys.  The  older  brother  enlisted  in  the  Illinois  Cavalry  under  General 
Steele,  the  next  was  in  a  company  of  Wisconsin  cavalry,  under  General 
Dodge,  Sixteenth  Army  Corps;  Edward  enlisted  in  the  battery;  the  next 
younger  brother,  Lucien  J.  Fish,  enlisted  in  the  ordnance  department  and 
went  through  with  Sherman  to  the  sea  and  on  to  Washington  in  1865,  was 
color  guard  from  Chattanooga  to  Washington,  and  never  received  a  scratch ; 
the  youngest  brother,  Charles  H.  Fish,  was  signal  officer  on  General  Lo- 
gan's staff  from  Chattanooga  to  the  capture  of  Atlanta,  and  had  charge,  of  the 
famous  work  of  signaling  to  General  Corse  at  Altoona  when  the  rebels 
were  trying  to  capture  that  place.  The  three  younger  brothers  are  still 
living.  Comrade  Fish  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  July  22,  1864,  his 
term  of  enlistment  having  expired.  He  was  never  wounded  nor  has  never 
applied  for  a  pension.  He  celebrated  Lincoln's  second  inauguration  by 
getting  married  on  that  day,  March  4,  1865,  and  started  housekeeping  the 
day  he  was  assassinated.  The  happy  bride  was  Miss  Althea  D.  Trask.  of 
Buda,  111.  They  have  one  daughter  living  and  two  granddaughters.  He 
moved  to  Missouri  in  1869  and  from  there  to  Pueblo.  Colo.,  in  July.  1874, 
where  he  has  since  resided.  He  has  followed  the  business  of  plumbing  and 
gasfitting,  and  by  untiring  energy,  strict  integrity  and  upright  dealing  has 
established  a  large  and  lucrative  business,  and  ranks  among  the  solid  and 
reliable  citizens  of  Pueblo.  He  has  a  comfortable,  pleasant  home,  and  the 
latch-string  is  always  out  to  any  of  his  old  comrades  visiting  that  far  Western 
town. 

FERDINAND  V.  GINDELE. 

Ferdinand  V.  Gindele  was  born  in  the  city  of  Schweinfurth,  Bavaria, 
Germany,  July  12,  1842,  and  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents  Oct. 
10,  1850,  living  in  Wisconsin  till  1852,  when  they  came  to  Chicago,  which 
city  has  since  been  his  home.  He  attended  the  old  No.  3  district  school  on 
Madisqn,  near  Halsted  street,  and  took  a  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Com- 
mercial College.  For  nearly  a  lifetime  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  cut  stone 
business  in  Chicago,  in  which  he  served  a  full  apprenticeship  as  a  boy,  as- 
sisting during  that  time  to  cut  the  stone  in  the  old  original  high  school 
building  and  the  Douglas  University.  He  was  working  at  his  trade  when 
the  war  broke  out,  and  enlisted  April  19,  1861,  at  Chicago,  in  Battery  "A." 
He  served  three  months  and  returned  home,  but  re-enlisted  August  5,  1862, 
and  served  with  the  battery,  participating  in  all  its  engagements  until  July 
12,  1864,  before  Atlanta,  when  he  was  detailed  on  detached  service  as  clerk 


JAMES  G.  EASTWOOD. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  149 


in  the  Assistant  Adjutant  General's  office  of  the  Second  Division,  Fifteenth 
Army  Corps.  He  went  through  with  Sherman  on  the  march  to  the  sea,  and 
the  campaign  through  the  Carolinas,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service  at 
the  close  of  the  war  in  Washington,  D.  C,  May  26,  1865,  and  returned  home. 
With  the  exception  of  two  years  when  he  was  engaged  as  assistant  in  the 
engineer  corps  in  the  original  deepening  of  the  old  canal,  which  is  now 
being  changed  into  the  largest  drainage  canal  in  the  United  States,  he  has 
followed  the  cut  stone  business,  in  different  positions,  and  is  now,  and  has 
been  for  a  number  of  years,  conducting  the  business  for  himself.  He  was 
married  to  Caroline  Haverlund  March  3,  1870.  They  have  surviving  one 
son  and  two  daughters  and  one  grandson. 

MERIC  GOULD. 

Meric  Gould  was  born  in  East  Pembroke,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28,  1835.  His 
childhood  and  youth  were  spent  in  his  native  town  and  in  Medina  County, 
Ohio,  attending  school,  helping  on  the  farm,  and  doing  his  share  of  the 
"neighborhood  deviltry,"  as  he  humbly  confesses  it,  until  old  enough  to  go 
sailing  on  the  Great  Lakes,  in  which  occupation  he  was  engaged  when  the 
civil  war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  as  "high  private"  in  Chicago, 
July  28,  1861,  and  served  with  the  company  till  Jan.  28,  1862,  when  he  was 
discharged  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  for  disability  contracted  in  line  of  duty.  Dis- 
charge states  disease  was  malaria  cachexia,  which  was  the  same  with  many 
of  the  sick  and  discharged  soldiers  from  that  place.  Being. restored  to  com- 
paratively good  health  he  afterwards  re-enlisted  in  the  Nineteenth  Ohio  Light 
Artillery  Independent,  on  Aug.  7,  1862,  and  served  with  that  command  till 
the  close  of  the  war.  Since  the  war  he  has  engaged  in  farming,  lumber 
business  and  manufacturing  hardwood  lumber.  He  is  now  living  at  Brest, 
Mich.,  where  he  is  justice  of  the  peace  and  postmaster.  He  is  in  poor  health 
and  unable  to  perform  any  manual  labor.  Comrades  will  remember  him  as 
the  ''old  sailor,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called  during  his  term  of  service  with 
the  battery.  He  was  married  to  Lydia  Dewey  Nov.  16,  1865,  who  died  in 
March,  1866,  and  has  four  children  living,  one  dead  and  five  grandchildren. 

ALLEN  W.  GRAY. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Chicago,  and  one  of  her  most 
prominent  and  successful  physicians.  He  was  born  Dec.  16,  1839,  and  lived 
in  the  city  till  twelve  years  of  age,  when  his  parents  moved  to  Niles,  Cook 
County,  where  they  lived  four  years,  moving  from  there  to  their  farm  in 
the  Town  of  Jefferson,  which  is  now  within  the  city  limits,  and  where  they 
lived  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  both  dying  a  few  years  ago.  His  father, 
John  Gray,  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Chicago  and  Cook  County,  and 
served  as  Sheriff  of  Cook  County  during  the  years  1859  and  1860.  He  at- 


WILLIAM  PITT  FOLLANSBEE. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  '  'A. "  1 5 1 


tended  the  district  schools  in  the  neighborhood  where  his  parents  lived  until 
1858.  when  he  went  to  Evanston  to  attend  the  Northwestern  University. 
He  was  the  first  student  to  enlist  from  that  institution  in  the  civil  war,  having 
enlisted   in   Battery   "A,"  April   19,    1861.     He  served   through   the   three 
months'  service  as  private  in  the  battery  and  re-enlisted  for  three  years  in 
the  same  company  July  16,  1861,  at  Cairo,  111.     During  the  three  months' 
service  he  was  on  the  expedition  to  Mexico,  Mo.     He  was  sick  in  hospital 
at  Cairo  from  July  18  to  Aug.  21,  1861,  with  camp  fever,  which  was  the 
extent  of  his  sickness  and  disability  during  the  entire  war.     He  was  one  of 
the  battery  who  served  on  a  cavalry  expedition  to  Mayfield,  Ky.,  Oct.  21 
and  22,  1 86 1.     On  Dec.  13,  1861,  by  special  order  of  the  War  Department, 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Ffty-first  Regiment,  Illinois  Infantry.     He  was 
appointed  regimental  commissary  sergeant  Jan.  I,  1862;  reinstated  a  veteran 
volunteer  in  same  regiment  Feb.  8,  1864;  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant, 
Company  G,  same  regiment,  April  i,  1864,  and  appointed  First  Lieutenant 
and    regimental    Adjutant    June    27,    1864.     He    resigned    and    was    mus- 
tered out  of  service  Jan.  31,  1865,  having  served  three  years,  nine  months 
and  fourteen  days,  participating  in  the  battles  of  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10, 
Farmington,  luka,  Corinth.  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  march  to  relief 
of  Knoxville,  Rocky  Face  Ridge,   Resaca,  New  Hope  Church,   Kenesaw 
Mountain,   Peach  Tree  Creek,  Siege  of  Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  Spring  Hill, 
Franklin  and  Nashville,  besides  numerous  skirmishes.     He  married  Miss 
Sarah  H.  Adams,  of  Northfield,  111.,  Oct.  13,  1862,  and  they  now  reside  in  a 
substantial  and  beautiful  home  at  1410  Washington  boulevard.    They  have 
three  sons,  t\vo  daughters  and  one  grandson.     He  kept  a  country  store  one 
and  a  half  years,  after  leaving  the  army,  then  studied  medicine  at  Chicago 
Medical  College,  graduating  in  1868,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in  active 
practice  of  medicine  in  Chicago.     He  was  United  States  Examining  Sur- 
geon for  Pensions  at  Chicago  from  June,  1889,  to  June,  1893,  and  was  reap- 
pointed  in  June,   1897,  and  is  still  serving  in  that  position.     He  takes  an 
active  interest  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  is  a  Past  Commander 
of  U.  S.  Grant  Post,  No.  28,  Department  of  Illinois.     He  is  also  an  active 
member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  of  the  Royal  League. 

ADAM  CLARK  HALL. 

There  are  many  members  of  old  Battery  "A"  who,  if  asked  regarding 
their  memory  of  Adam  C.  Hall,  would  hesitate  a  moment  before  replying, 
but  if  asked  in  regard  to  "Garibaldi"  there  would  be  no  faltering  for  an  affir- 
mative reply.  "Garrie,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called  by  all  the  boys,  was  one 
of  the  prominent  members  from  the  very  starting  of  the  battery  for  the  front, 
April  21,  1861.  When  the  battery  was  moved  up  the  river  from  Cairo  to 
Camp  Smith,  and  the  work  of  cleaning  up  the  heavy  timber  and  undergrowth 


EDWARD  P.   FISH. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A."  1 53 


was  begun,  Capt.  Smith  placed  Hall  in  charge  of  it,  and  he  proved  to  be 
an  expert  in  the  business.  Many  a  tenderly  reared  boy  took  his  first  lessons 
at  hard  work  in  wood-chopping,  grubbing  and  log-rolling  from  him,  and  he 
was  always  a  good-natured,  cheerful  instructor.  The  huge  bonfires  which 
burned  nightly  while  the  work  of  cleaning  up  continued,  were  always  sur- 
rounded by  a  jolly  group  of  boys,  who  whiled  away  the  time  in  singing  sen- 
timental and  patriotic  songs  and  listening  to  stories  told  by  one  another. 
"Carrie"  was  a  capital  story-teller,  and  always  enjoyed  a  good  joke,  even 
when  he  was  the  victim.  He  was  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain  State, 
having  first  seen  the  light  of  day  in  Pittsford,  Vermont,  Feb.  28,  1834.  His 
early  years  were  spent  on  a  farm  in  his  native  place.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  railroad  engineer  when  a  young  man,  and,  coming  to  the  West,  was  en- 
gaged in  that  occupation  when  the  war  bioke  out.  He  enlisted  in  the 
battery  April  15,  1861,  re-enlisted  at  Cairo  July  16  following,  and  again  at 
Bellfont,  Ala.,  Jan.  2,  1864.  His  rank  was  corporal.  He  was  severely 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  narrowly  missed  being  captured  by  the 
enemy,  but  escaped  and  assisted  several  of  his  wounded  comrades  from  the 
field  and  prevented  their  capture.  He  was  not  so  fortunate  at  the  battle  of 
Atlanta,  July  22,  1864,  but  was  taken  prisoner  there  with  a  number  of  others 
of  the  battery,  and  held  until  April  19,  1865,  when  he  was  paroled  at  Camp 
Fisk,  Miss.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Chicago  July  27,  1865,  by  general  order 
of  the  War  Department  discharging  paroled  prisoners.  While  a  prisoner 
he  was  confined  the  whole  time  at  Andersonville,  and  endured  with  so  many 
others  the  horrors  of  that  accursed  prison  pen,  coming  out  a  perfect  skeleton, 
and  but  a  mere  shadow7  of  his  former  self.  When  he  was  captured  he  weighed 
218  pounds  and  when  paroled  but  128  pounds.  After  his  discharge,  as  near 
a  physical  wreck  as  it  was  possible  for  a  man  to  be  and  live,  he,  at  the  urgent 
request  of  his  dear  aged  mother,  quit  railroading,  took  up  the  trade  of  car- 
penter and  builder  in  Chicago,  and  followed  that  until  July,  1868,  when  he 
removed  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  resumed  work  at  his  carpenter  trade. 
This  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  on  account  of  his  health,  and  he  returned  to 
his  work  as  stationary  engineer.  He  secured  a  position  as  engineer  in  the 
Des  Moines  water  works,  which  he  filled  for  nearly  eight  years,  but  at  last 
w:as  forced  to  give  up  steady  work  at  his  trade  in  1893,  on  account  of  poor 
health.  He  then  secured  a  few  acres  of  land  in  the  suburbs  of  Des  Moines, 
and  after  partially  regaining  his  health,  fitted  up  a  snug,  comfortable  home, 
and,  by  cultivating  his  little  tract  of  land,  raising  fruit,  vegetables  and  small 
grains,  manages  to  live  in  comparative  comfort.  How  long  he  can  hold  on 
to  life  he  can  not  and  does  not  pretend  to  say,  as,  according  to  records  and 
reports,  he  is  destined  to  be  a  very  old  man.  The  Illinois  Adjutant  General's 
report  from  1861  to  1865  has  him  dead  since  Nov.  16,  1861,  grave  12060, 
and  he  was  reported  as  lost  on  the  steamer  "Sultana,"  but  he  still  lives  and 


FERDINAND  V.  GINDELE. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  155 


feels  much  more  like  continuing  to  do  so  than  he  did  thirty-six  years  ago, 
and,  like  the  Irishman,  he  has  concluded  that  he  will  stay  on  earth  and  "live 
as  long  as  he  can  see  anyone  else  do  so."  He  suggests,  in  recording  the 
history  of  the  boys,  "to  give  each  one  their  full  share  of  the  honor,  as  there 
is  enough  to  go  around,"  and  he  will  be  content  to  take  his  chance  with  the 
rest.  He  was  married  Jan.  23,  1866,  to  Miss  Sophia  B.  Morrow,  in  Chicago. 
They  have  had  but  one  child,  David  Perry  Hall,  who  died  in  July,  1872,  when 
only  five  years  of.  age. 

EDWARD  S.  HILLS. 

Among  the  few  battery  members  \vho  located  in  the  South  after  the  war 
is  Edward  S.  Hills.  He  was  born  in  Manchester,  Conn.,  in  1840,  but  his 
boyhood  and  youth  were  spent  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  In  the  spring  of  1861  he 
was  working  at  his  trade,  blacksmithing,  in  Chicago,  where  he  enlisted  as 
private  in  Battery  "A,"  April  19.  He  served  through  the  three  months'  ser- 
vice, re-enlisted  with  a  majority  of  the  battery  July  16,  1861,  and  served  with 
the  company  till  Jan.  9,  1863,  when,  on  account  of  severe  sickness  and 
weakness,  he  was  discharged  on  surgeon's  certificate  for  physical  disability. 
He  has  been  in  the  United  States  postal  service  since  December,  1869,  was 
married  in  October,  1875,  and  has  one  son  thirteen  years  old.  He  lives  at 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  where  he  is  located  in  his  own  home. 

HOXIE  LEE  HOFFMAN. 

One  by  one  the  survivors  of  our  battery  are  fast  joining  the  silent  ma- 
jority. The  last  one  to  answer  the  final  summons  was  genial,  brave  Hoxie 
L.  Hoffman,  who  passed  awray  at  the  Soldiers'  Home,  Los  Angeles  County, 
California,  Feb.  12,  1899.  On  Jan.  19  previous  he  wrote  that  he  was  com- 
fortably situated  in  the  Home,  which,  as  he  expressed  it,  was  the  "Garden 
Spot  of  the  Earth,"  where  his  every  want  was  supplied,  and  where,  in  the  nat- 
ural order  of  things,  he  would  soon  be  called  upon  to  respond  to  the  last 
roll  call,  as  he  was  in  his  sixty-eighth  year.  He  was  born  in  Warsaw,  N.  Y., 
Feb.  20,  1831.  From  the  time  he  was  four  years  of  age  until  twenty  he 
lived  with  his  father  on  a  farm  in  Half  Day,  Lake  County,  111.,  where  they 
had  man}-  years  of  hard  work  and  poor  returns.  When  twenty-one  he  was 
offered  and  accepted  a  position  with  his  brother-in-law,  William  Clingman, 
a  leading  clothier  of  Chicago,  receiving  the  munificent  salary  at  that  time  of 
$50  per  month.  He  was  so  engaged  when  the  war  broke  out,  and  on  April 
17,  1861.  left  his  position  .arid  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery.  He  served 
with  the  battery  until  Jan.  17,  1863,  when,  on  account  of  severe  sickness,  he 
was  obliged  to  resign  his  commission  as  Second  Lieutenant,  to  which  he  had 
been  promoted,  having  been  advanced  to  that  position  from  previous  promo- 
tions of  corporal  and  sergeant.  After  his  resignation,  as  soon  as  he  had  re- 


MERIC  GOULD. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  157 


covered  sufficiently,  he  went  into  the  sewing  machine  business,  in  which  he 
continued  for  fifteen  years,  most  of  the  time  being  located  in  St.  Louis.  He 
then  changed  to  the  Board  of  Trade  business  in  Chicago,  which  proved  a 
disastrous  venture.  He  remained  single  until  August,  1893,  when  he  mar- 
ried and  went  to  California,  settling  at  Los  Angeles.  This  also  proved  an 
unfortunate  move,  and,  as  he  says,  the  "last  move  on  the  chess  board,"  was 
to  make  application  and  be  admitted  to  the  Soldiers'  Home,  where  he  was  so 
soon  to  end  his  days.  In  writing  his  last  letter  he  extends  his  kind  regards 
and  remembrances  to  all  his  old  comrades,  and  says  when  he  shall  have 
passed  away  he  will  have  a  marble  slab  to  mark  his  last  resting  place,"  in- 
scribed with  all  necessary  statements."  He  says  in  his  lonely  condition  he 
would  give  $1.10  to  hear  Fred  S.  Church  call  out,  "Dinner,  Squad  3,"  but 
it  \vas  his  present  belief  that  he  would  "never  hear  his  gentle  voice  again," 
seeming  to  have  a  premonition  of  his  near  approaching  dissolution.  The 
news  of  his  sudden  taking  off  was  received  by  all  his  old  comrades  with  sur- 
prise and  sorrow. 

MOSES  HAWKS. 

The  oldest  member  and  survivor  of  the  battery  is  Moses  Hawks.  He 
was  born  at  Hannibal,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  14,  1821,  on  a  farm,  where  he  lived  and 
grew  to  manhood.  He  came  West,  and,  when  the  war  began,  was  general 
agent  for  an  agricultural  implement  manufacturing  company.  He  enlisted 
in  the  battery  in  Chicago  in  July,  1861,  as  private,  and  served  the  full  term  of 
his  enlistment,  enduring  the  hardships  and  privations  of  army  life  as  rug- 
gedly as  any  of  the  younger  members.  He  received  slight  wounds  both  at 
the  battles  of  Donelson  and  Shiloh.  His  first  vote  was  cast  in  1841  for 
James  G.  Birney,  the  Abolition  candidate  for  President.  At  that  time  he 
was  serving  as  conductor  on  the  Underground  Railroad  from  his  native 
town  to  Oswego,  N.  Y.  Since  the  war  he  has  dealt  in  farm  stock  and  been 
a  manufacturer  of  butter  and  cheese.  He  lives  in  Phoenix,  N.  Y.,  and  has 
never  married. 

EDWARD  HUGHES. 

Edward  Hughes  is  a  native  son  of  Chicago,  where  he  was  born  Feb.  9, 
1838,  and  which  place  has  ever  since  been  his  home.  His  school  education 
was  obtained  in  the  old  Kinzie  School,  on  the  North  Side,  where  he  at- 
tended until  fourteen  years  old,  when  he  commenced  work  for  A.  Clybourn, 
Chicago's  oldest  butcher,  in  the  old  North  Market,  and  continued  working 
for  him  till  he  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  July,  1862.  He  served  as  private, 
taking  part  in  all  its  engagements  until  July  22,  1863,  when  he  was  taken 
prisoner  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  held  until  Oct.  19,  1864.  A  graphic  account 
of  the  experience  of  those  captured  on  that  day  is  given  by  Wm.  H.  Young 


ALLEN  W.  GRAY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  159 

in  the  chapter  on  the  Siege  of  Jackson.  Comrade  Hughes  lost  an  eye  while 
in  prison  at  Anclersonville.  He  returned  to  Chicago  and  engaged  in  the 
market  and  provision  business,  which  he  has  since  followed.  He  married 
and  had  two  children.  His  wife  and  both  children  are  dead.  He  has  two 
grandchildren. 

EDWARD   JOHNSON. 

Edward  Johnson  was  born  in  Richmond,  Richmond  County,  New  York, 
Oct.  8,  1837,  where  he  lived  and  attended  the  village  school  until  fourteen 
years  of  age.  During  the  following  two  years  he  assisted  his  father,  clerking 
in  his  general  store.  From  1853  until  1860  he  was  clerking  in  various  mer- 
cantile lines  in  New  York  City.  He  went  to  Chicago  in  1860,  reaching  there 
during  the  session  of  the  national  convention  that  nominated  Abraham  Lin- 
coln for  President.  He  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  wholesale  grocery  house, 
which  position  he  resigned  to  enlist  as  private  in  the  battery  July  28,  1861. 
Being  proficient  in  clerical  work,  and  ability  of  that  nature  being  needed,  he 
was  detailed  for  extra  duty  in  the  Subsistence  Department  at  Paducah,  Ky., 
shortly  after  the  occupation  of  that  city  in  September,  1861,  and  continued 
in  such  employ  until  mustered  out  for  disability  June  21,  1862.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  service  of  the  United  States  government,  however,  and  for  six- 
teen years  was  in  the  departments  in  Washington,  D.  C.  He  is  now  clerk 
in  the  Quartermaster's  Department  at  the  National  Military  Home,  Leaven- 
worth,  Kan.  He  married  Mary  E.  Gunsaloes  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  Sept.  30, 
1867,  and  has  two  married  daughters  and  three  grandchildren. 

LEWIS  F.  JACOBS. 

In  the  western  part  of  far-off  Norway,  Europe,  Lewis  F.  Jacobs  was 
born,  in  1835.  When  eleven  years  old  he  came  with  his  parents  to  America, 
settling  in  Kendall  County,  Illinois.  He  had  one  brother  and  two  sisters. 
His  parents  were  poor,  and  immediately  on  their  arrival  in  this  country 
Lewis  began  to  work  to  support  himself  and  assist  his  parents,  working  on  a 
farm.  When  in  the  country  but  three  years  the  entire  family  was  stricken 
with  the  cholera,  and  all  were  carried  away  with  it  except  Lewis  and  his  two 
sisters.  He  soon  after  went  to  work  as  a  brakeman  on  the  railroad,  and 
finally  became  a  baggagemaster,  at  which  work  he  was  engaged  when  the 
war  broke  out.  He  was  in  the  first  body  of  troops  to  leave  Chicago  for  the 
front,  having  enlisted  in  the  defense  of  his  adopted  country,  in  Battery  "A," 
April  19,  1861.  He  re-enlisted  the  following  July  16,  and  served  till  mus- 
tered out,  July  23,  1864.  A  more  faithful,  zealous  and  brave  soldier  than 
Lewis  could  not  be  found.  He  was  a  universal  favorite  with  all  the  com- 


ADAM  C.   HALL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  161 

rades  of  the  battery,  and  he  was  very  much  attached  to  them.  His  friendship 
continued  until  his  dying  day,  when  he  remembered  them  by  donating  a  lot 
he  owned  in  the  southern  outskirts  of  the  city,  to  the  Battery  Veteran  Asso- 
ciation, for  the  purpose  of  caring  for  the  battery  monument  and  lot  in  the 
cemetery  at  Rose  Hill,  and  providing  for  the  care  and  comfort  of  any  de- 
serving and  needy  members,  and  for  keeping  up  the  association  while  any 
of  the  members  lived.  The  publishing  of  this  history,  to  perpetuate  the 
achievements  of  our  gallant  battery,  and  the  memory  of  its  living  and  noble 
dead,  was  made  possible  by  Comrade  Jacobs'  donation.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  in  Chicago  for  a  few  years  after  the  war.  He 
then  secured  a  position  in  the  United  States  Government  Ganger's  office, 
which  place  he  filled  for  many  years,  till  failing  health  compelled  him  to  re- 
sign. Two  of  his  battery  comrades,  having  such  implicit  confidence  in  his 
honesty  and  integrity,  were  on  his  official  bond  during  the  entire  time  he 
was  connected  with  this  office,  and  their  trust  was  never  betrayed.  Honest, 
brave  and  true,  generous  to  a  fault,  were  his  natural  qualities,  and  he  died 
sincerely  mourned  by  all  his  comrades  and  friends.  His  death  occurred  after 
a  lingering  illness  in  hospital,  Oct.  21,  1889,  and  he  was  laid  to  rest  by  his 
comrades  in  the  battery  lot  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery.  His  grave  is  the  only 
one  on  which  an  individual  headstone  was  allowed  to  be  placed.  It  is  a 
beautiful  granite  stone,  and  is  inscribed  with  his  name,  date  of  death  and  the 
very  appropriate  inscription  of,  "Noble  Patriot,  Brave  Soldier,  and  True 
Friend."  He  has  a  sister,  Mrs.  Sarah  Erickson,  living  at  Stony  City,  Iowa. 
He  was  never  married. 

WILLIAM  H.  JOHNSON, 

A  few  of  the  battery  members  can  claim  the  honor  of  having  gone  with 
General  Sherman  on  the  memorable  march  "from  Atlanta  to  the  sea."  Among 
these  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Wm.  H.  Johnson,  now  living  at  Alpena, 
Mich.  He  was  born  at  Kishwaukee,  111.,  Feb.  10,  1840.  He  moved  to  Mil- 
waukee when  a  child,  and  lived  there  till  1857,  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and 
engaged  with  the  American  Express  Co.,  where  he  was  employed  at  the 
time  of  his  enlistment  as  private  in  the  battery,  Aug.  6,  1862.  He  was  No.  3 
in  squad  one  until  June  16,  1864,  when,  at  Big  Shanty,  Ga.,  he  was  detailed 
to  report  to  Lieutenant  Mitchell,  Ordnance  Officer  of  the  Fifteenth  Army 
Corps,  for  whom  he  acted  as  clerk  until  his  term  of  enlistment  expired.  He 
was  with  the  corps  on  the  "grand  march,"  and  was  mustered  out  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  May  25,  1865.  He  married  Miss  Mary  G.  Nason,  formerly  of 
Chicago,  and  has  three  children.  He  is  a  prominent  and  successful  busi- 
ness man,  is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and  a  bank  in  the  city  of  Al- 
pena. Mich. 


HENRY  H.   HANDY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  163 


FREDERICK  M.  KAXTZLER. 

Among  the  worthy,  patriotic  citizens  of  Chicago  that  Germany  has  fur- 
nished, is  Fred.  M.  Kamzler.  He  was  born  in  that  empire  Sept.  3,  1840.  In 
1852  with  his  parents  he  crossed  the  Atlantic.  Making  their  way  to  Chi- 
cago, they  located  at  Blue  Island,  a  southern  suburb.  He  secured  a  position 
as  clerk  in  a  country  store,  and  was  so  engaged  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war.  A  number  of  Blue  Island  boys,  friends  and  acquaintances  being  mem- 
bers of  Batten*  "A,"  he  came  to  Paducah,  Ky..  and  joined  the  batten'  Dec. 
i,  1861,  enlisting  as  private.  He  sened  with  the  batten,  taking  part  in  all 
its  engagements,  until  July  22.  1863.  when  he  was  taken  prisoner  with  a 
number  of  others  of  the  battery,  at  Jackson.  Miss.  He  was  taken  to  Belle 
Island,  Ya.,  where  he  was  held  for  six  months,  then  removed  to  that  rebel 
hell-hole  of  Andersonville.  where  he  remained  seven  months,  and,  suniving 
all  this,  he  was  taken  to  Savannah,  Ga..  and  kept  for  two  months  longer, 
when  he  was  exchanged  Xov.  18,  1864.  He  was  mustered  out  Jan.  12.  1865,, 
his  term  of  enlistment  having  expired.  After  the  war  he  was  in  active  busi- 
ness in  Chicago  until  May,  1897.  when,  having  acquired  a  comfortable  com- 
petency, he  retired  from  active  business.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  For- 
rest, of  Canton,  Mo.  They  have  five  children  and  live  in  their  pleasant  home 
at  3030  Yernon  avenue.  Chicago. 

HARRISON  KELLEY. 

Harrison  Kelley  was  one  of  the  popular  and  prominent  members  of  the 
battery  during  the  three  months'  sen-ice,  enlisting  as  private  April  21,  1861, 
in  Chicago.  But  the  three  months  with  the  batten  was  by  no  means  the 
extent  of  his  military  sen-ice  in  the  civil  war.  He  was  appointed  First  Lieu- 
tenant in  the  Forty-fourth  Xew  York  Infantry  Yolunteers.  July  4.  1861.  and 
sened  in  that  position  till  July  3.  1862.  He  was  then  promoted  to  Adjutant 
in  the  same  regiment  and  sened  in  that  capacity  till  Feb.  9.  1863.  He  was 
commissioned  as  captain  in  the  same  command  Feb.  25.  1863.  During  all 
his  military  career  he  says  the  first  day's  sen-ice  with  the  batten,  when  he 
rode  as  cannonier  on  the  limber  of  a  gun  through  the  streets  of  Chicago,  be- 
hind four  green  and  fractious  horses  and  equally  as  green  and  awkward  pos- 
tillions, the  cheers  and  surging  of  the  thousands  of  spectators  that  lined  the 
streets  frightening  both  animals  and  men  nearly  out  of  their  senses,  im- 
pressed itself  more  vividly  on  his  mind  than  anything  in  his  later  experience. 
He  was  with  his  regiment  in  the  battles  of  Gaines  Mill.  Antietam.  Fredericks- 
burg,  and  others,  but  at  no  time  was  so  "nearly  scared  to  death"  as  upon  that 
memorable  march  through  the  city  of  Chicago,  when,  as  an  ex-book- 
keeper and  cashier,  he  was  required  to  jump  off  the  limber  and  down  among 
the  heels  of  the  fractious  horses,  about  once  even  five  minutes,  and  to  try  to 
quiet  and  dissuade  them  from  their  efforts  to  straddle  even-thing  in  sight. 


EDWARD  S.   HILLS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  16S 


including  the  pole,  traces  and  himself,  and  to  plunge  about  generally.  To 
his  mind  and  memory  no  more  dangerous  duty  was  devolved  upon  him 
during  the  war.  He  was  born  in  New  York  City  Aug.  14,  1840.  The  first 
four  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  his  native  city.  Thereafter  until  1855  he 
alternated  between  different  places  in  the  State  of  New  York  and  Chicago, 
settling  in  that  year  in  the  future  great  city  of  the  West.  He  was  employed 
as  bookkeeper  and  cashier  with  the  extensive  hardware  firm  of  Larrabee 
&  North,  and  left  his  position  with  that  firm  to  join  the  army.  When  he  left 
school  at  eight  years  of  age.  he  began  work  as  a  cash  boy,  and  was  advanced 
to  bookkeeper  and  cashier,  in  which  capacities  he  has  been  employed  ever 
since,  except  while  in  the  army,  and  a  few  years  in  the  hardware  business 
for  himself.  Since  1876  he  has  been  the  efficient  secretary  of  the  well-known 
and  popular  People's  Building  and  Loan  Association  of  Chicago,  which  po- 
sition he  still  fills.  He  is  married  and  has  two  children  living  and  one  grand- 
child. 

CORNELIUS  KENDALL. 

Cornelius  Kendall,  one  of  the  prominent  three  months'  members  of  the 
battery,  was  born  in  Quincy,  111.,  May  22,  1839,  and  lived  there  until  1853, 
when  he  came  to  Chicago,  which  was  his  home  till  1870.  He  was  working 
in  his  father's  well-known  bakery,  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Dear- 
born streets,  when  the  war  began,  and  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  April 
19,  1861,  and  served  three  months  at  Cairo.  He  went  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  in 
1870,  where  he  still  lives,  being  established  in  the  steam-fitting  business,  in 
which  he  has  been  successful  and  prosperous.  He  married  Miss  Ida  L. 
Knapp  in  1873,  an^  nas  no  children. 

THEODORE  WYLIE  KENNEDY. 

A  loyal,  brave  and  true  citizen  and  soldier  was  Theodore  W.  Kennedy. 
He  was  born  in  Green  County,  Alabama,  July  28,  1843,  which  placed  him 
among  the  youngest  members  of  the  battery.  His  parents  moved  to  Chicago 
in  1846.  Here  Theodore  was  raised  to  manhood,  and  with  the  exception  of 
a  fe\v  months  that  city  was  his  home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Nov. 
10,  1881.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  with  the  first  members,  April  19,  1861, 
served  three  months  and  re-enlisted  for  three  years,  serving  his  full  term 
faithfully  and  creditably,  taking  part  in  all  the  work  of  the  battery.  He  was 
mustered  out  in  July,  1864,  and  returned  to  Chicago.  He  was  employed  as 
mail  carrier,  at  which  he  served  for  many  years.  He  resigned  but  a  short 
time  before  his  death,  for  the  purpose  of  going  into  business.  He  married 
Miss  Eliza  Stewart  in  Chicago  in  1865.  His  widow,  in  fair  circumstances, 
and  four  children  survive  him. 


HOXIE  L.   HOFFMAN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "4."  167 


SAMPSON  KENNEDY. 

A  native-born  Southerner,  but  loyal  to  the  core  to  the  Union,  can  be 
said  of  Sampson  Kennedy.  He  was  born  in  Green  County,  Alabama,  Feb. 
23,  1839,  and  came  north  to  Chicago  in  1846,  which  city  was  his  home  until 
1867.  He  learned  the  printer's  trade  and  was  working  at  it  when  he  en- 
listed in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  July  12,  1861.  His  brother,  Theodore  W., 
was  already  serving  in  the  battery,  having  been  with  it  during  the  three 
months'  service.  He  served  his  full  term  of  enlistment,  without  a  furlough, 
and,  being  quite  sociable  and  musical,  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the 
pleasures  arid  enjoyments  of  camp  and  army  life,  especially  in  the  part  he 
took  in  the  Glee  Club  at  Paducah,  Vicksburg  and  Larkinsville.  In  1871 
he  engaged  in  the  business  of  printer  and  publisher  at  Moline,  111.,  continu- 
ing it  till  1887.  He  is  still  living  at  Moline. 

He  married  Miss  Adeline  Whiting  in  Monmouth,  111.,  Nov.  6,  1866,  and 
six  children  have  blessed  the  union,  Mate,  who  died  at  birth;  Robert  B., 
Adeline,  Philip  S.,  Alice,  and  Sampson  W.  His  second  son,  Philip,  served 
in  the  First  Nat.  Infantry,  Company  M,  in  the  late  war,  and  participated  in 
the  capture  of  Manila. 

ARTHUR  MAGILL  KINZIE. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  first  white  family 
that  settled  in  Chicago,  when  it  was  but  a  mere  Indian  trading  post.  Arthur 
M.  Kinzie  was  born  in  Chicago,  March  24,  1841,  which  city  has  always  been 
his  home.  He  attended  his  first  school  there,  then  continued  at  Racine 
College,  and  later  on  entered  Kenyon  College,  Ohio,  where  he  was  studying 
when  the  war  broke  out.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  April  19, 

1 86 1,  and  served  three  months  as  private  and  corporal.     After  the  three 
months'  service  he  was  appointed  a  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Ninth  Illinois 
Cavalry,  and  was  immediately  detailed  as  aid-de-camp  to  Major  General 
Hunter,-  commanding  the   Department  of  Missouri.      He  was   afterwards 
promoted  to  Captain  and  A.  D.  C.  to  the  Major  General  commanding  the 
Tenth  Army  Corps.     To  Comrade  Kinzie  belongs  the  credit  of  having  or- 
ganized and  equipped  the  first  regiment  of  colored  troops  raised  in  the 
Union  service,  which  he  did  by  command  of  Major  General  Hunter,  in  May, 

1862.  It  was  called  the  First  South  Carolina  Union  Volunteers,  but  was 
not  recognized  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  was  ordered  to  be  discharged. 
Six  months  afterwards,  however,  the  government  ordered  the  enlistment  of 
colored  troops,  and  this  regiment  formed  the  neucleus  of  the  colored  troops 
of  South  Carolina,  which  proved  such  valuable  auxiliaries  in  suppressing  the 
rebellion.    He  was  in  the  rebel  prison  at  Cahaba,  Ala.,  three  months,  having 
been  captured  by  the  rebel  General  Forest's  cavalry.     He  served  till  the 


MOSES  HAWKS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  169 


close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered  out  in  November,  1865.     He  returned 
to  Chicago,  and  has  been  paymaster  of  the  Wells  &  French  Car  Co. 

He  married  Miss  Carolina  G.  Wilson.  They  have  five  children,  John  H., 
married  to  Nellie  Reed,  of  Savannah,  Ga. ;  Eleanor  G.,  married  to  Geo.  W. 
Gould,  of  Chicago;  Adele  L.,  married  to  John  S.  Driver,  of  Riverside;  Sarah 
M.  and  Julian  Magill  Kinzie.  They  have  three  grandchildren. 

GEORGE  KING. 

Genial,  jovial,  happy  and  good-natured  George  King  was  a  general 
favorite  with  the  whole  battery.  Always  as  ready  for  work  as  for  play,  he 
never  shirked  a  duty  or  missed  a  skirmish  or  battle.  He  enlisted  with  a 
majority  of  the  earliest  members  on  the  iQth  of  April,  1861,  re-enlisting  July 
1 6  following,  and  served  faithfully  and  well  three  years  and  three  months, 
without  receiving  a  serious  wound  or  injury,  and  was  mustered  out  July  23, 
1864.  He  was  born  Feb.  28,  1836,  in  Amherst,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  there  on  a 
farm  until  seventeen  years  old,  when,  acting  on  the  advice  of  Horace 
Greeley  to  "go  West,  young  man,"  he  came  to  Chicago  and  located,  working 
as  machinist  and  engineer.  Since  the  war  he  worked  at  the  same  trade, 
principally,  fourteen  years  of  the  time  being  in  that  employ  with  the  Elgin 
National  Watch  Co.,  at  Elgin,  111.  He  died  in  that  city  July  14,  1898,  leaving 
a  widow,  Mrs.  Mary  King,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  Elgin.  He  left  no 
children,  but  one  son  and  two  daughters  by  a  former  marriage  with  Miss 
Martha  Williams,  who  died  in  1885,  survive  him.  He  also  had  one  grand- 
child. 

MR.  AND  MRS.  MARTIN  N.  KIMBELL,  SR. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  N.  Kimbell,  Sr.,  were  the  parents  of  the  three  Kim- 
bell  brothers  that  served  in  the  battery  during  the  civil  war.  They  were 
both  natives  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  came  West  to  Chicago  in  1836. 
They  became  acquainted  after  their  arrival,  and  were  married  in  1837  anc^ 
at  once  settled  on  a  wild  prairie  farm  of  160  acres,  which  Mr.  Kimbell  had 
bought  of  the  government,  five  miles  northwest  of  the  site  of  the  present 
courthouse.  Here  they  lived  for  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  over  sixty 
years,  rearing  a  family  of  six  sons  and  two  daughters  to  maturity,  enduring 
and  overcoming  all  the  hardships  and  privations  of  early  pioneer  life,  and 
enjoying  a  comfortable  home  and  competency  in  their  declining  years,  sur- 
rounded by  their  numerous  descendants.  They  had  witnessed  the  marvel- 
ous growth  and  development  of  Chicago,  growing  from  a  frontier  Indian 
trading  post  to  be  the  second  city  of  the  nation.  They  always  took  an  active 
interest  in  educational  matters.  The  first  school  in  their  district,  organized 
in  the  early  '405,  was  taught  in  their  own  humble  home,  which  consisted  of 
but  two  rooms,  and  the  first  two  seasons  they  boarded  the  teacher  gratui- 


EDWARD  HUGHES. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  ilA .  "  17 1 

tously.  Scholars  came  from  a  distance  of  one  to  three  miles  across  the  open 
prairie,  and  when  the  weather  was  severe,  they  frequently  remained  with  the 
Kimbells  all  night.  As  they  prospered  and  their  home  was  improved  and 
enlarged,  it  was  a  much  frequented  resort  for  a  multitude  of  friends,  and 
old  and  young  came  there  always  sure  of  a  warm  welcome  and  a  visit  of 
good  cheer.  Mr.  Kimbell  was  a  public-spirited  citizen,  always  ready  to  aid 
in  forwarding  every  good  endeavor  and  to  extend  general  education  and 
good  government.  He  was  one  of  the  original  founders  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  remained  a  stanch  and  consistent  member  of  that  party  till  his 
death.  He  was  a  Universalist  in  religious  belief,  and  contributed  liberally 
toward  the  building  up  of  three  churches  of  that  faith  in  Chicago.  He  never 
aspired  to  political  honors,  though  often  urged  to  do  so.  He  served  in  minor 
public  offices  for  many  years,  especially  as  school  officer  for  thirty  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Cook  County,  and 
served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  for  a  short  time  under  his  lifelong  friend,  Sheriff 
John  Gray.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  took  a  firm  and  unflinching  stand 
in  support  of  the  government,  and  when  war  was  declared  he  gave  his  tearful 
consent  to  the  enlistment  of  his  oldest  son,  Charles  B.,  in  Battery  "A,"  and 
a  year  later  his  second  and  third  sons,  Julius  W.  and  Spencer  S.,  followed 
with  like  consent.  The  interest  that  Mr.  Kimbell  always  took  in  the  battery, 
from  the  beginning  till  the  close  of  the  war,  justly  gained  for  him  the  title 
of  "Father  of  the  Battery."  He  devoted  months  of  his  time  in  visiting  them 
in  the  field,  and  after  every  severe  battle  would  go  immediately  to  the  front 
and  assist  in  caring  for  the  wounded  and  sick.  He  served  gratuitously  as 
hospital  steward  on  the  Mississippi  River  hospital  boats  the  greater  part 
of  two  winters.  He,  with  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Livermore  and  Thomas  B.  Bryan, 
organized  the  Sanitary  Commission  in  Chicago,  which  did  such  valuable 
and  efficient  work  all  through  the  war.  Mrs.  Kimbell  was  not  behind  her 
noble  husband  in  doing  her  share  to  cheer  and  sustain  the  boys  in  doing  their 
patriotic  duty.  During  the  early  part  of  the  war,  when  the  battery  was 
accessible  for  home  supplies,  scarcely  a  week  passed  that  a  box  of  dainties, 
jelly,  jam  and  a  nice  jar  of  golden  butter,  all  made  by  her  own  hands,  did 
not  find  its  way  to  the  boys  in  camp,  and  many  a  sick  boy,  tired  of  army  sup- 
plies, remembers  the  appetizing  things  sent  by  her,  which  were  always  gen- 
erously divided.  A  barrel  of  currant  wine,  made  from  fruit  in  her  own  gar- 
den by  herself,  was  sent  to  the  Sanitary  Commission  for  the  hospitals. 
When  the  battery  was  in  camp  at  Vicksburg,  in  April,  1863,  the  boys,  wish- 
ing to  show  their  appreciation  and  esteem  for  Mr.  Kimbell,  procured  a  beau- 
tiful gold-headed  cane,  and  had  it  suitably  inscribed  and  sent  to  him,  ac- 
companied by  the  following  letter.  The  cane  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
his  son,  Spencer  S.,  and  will  always  be  prized  as  a  precious  heirloom  by  his 
descendants: 


EDWARD  JOHNSON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  173 


"Camp  of  Company  'A,'  Chicago  Light  Artillery, 

"Before  Vicksburg,  April  12,  1863. 

''Dear  Sir — During  the  long  and  weary  months  we  have  been  absent 
from  our  homes,  battling  for  our  country's  honor,  the  evidences  of  your 
kindness  and  regard  have  never  been  absent  from  us. 

'  "We  realize  how  you  have  watched  over  our  interests  and  cared  for 
us,  sick  and  wounded,  with  a  tender  care  and  a  never-wearying  zeal. 

"We  appreciate  your  noble  efforts  in  our  behalf,  and  can  never  repay 
them — the  reward  of  such  deeds  is  in  the  Almighty's  hands. 

"Permit  us.  however,  to  offer  you  this  cane,  a  slight  testimonial  of  our 
regard,  hoping  that  you  may  carry  it  many  years,  and  that  it  may  support  the 
declining  steps  of  an  honored  old  age.  Co.  'A,'  C.  L.  A. 

"To  M.  N.  Kimbell." 

Mrs.  Kimbell  was  in  poor  health  for  many  years  in  the  latter  part  of 
her  life,  and  passed  away  in  her  old  home,  in  her  8ist  year,  Nov.  24,  1896, 
nearly  two  years  after  the  death  of  her  husband.  Mr.  Kimbell,  being  of  a 
strong  and  vigorous  constitution,  enjoyed  good  health  until  about  the  year 
1890,  when  he  began  to  have  trouble  with  his  feet,  which  gradually  devel- 
oped into  gangrene.  This  continued  to  increase  steadily  until,  in  January, 
1895,  it  was  decided  by  a  council  of  physicians,  that,  in  order  to  save,  or  even 
prolong  his  life  and  relieve  the  intense  suffering  he  was  enduring,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  amputate  his  left  leg  above  the  knee.  This  was  accordingly 
done,  with  his  full  consent,  and  with  the  hope  on  the  part  of  his  family  that 
his  otherwise  robust  constitution  would  enable  him  to  rally  from  the  opera- 
tion. But  his  advanced  age  of  83  years  was  against  him,  and  he  sank  grad- 
ually until  the  end,  which  came  Feb.  13,  1895.  The  last  years  of  the  lives  of 
this  worthy  couple  were  spent  in  quiet  retirement,  surrounded  by  their  nu- 
merous family,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  an  early  life  of  hard  and  honest  labor, 
combined  with  temperance,  benevolence  and  frugality,  useful  and  exem- 
plary lives,  well  worthy  of  emulation  by  rising  generations. 

CHARLES  BILL  KIMBELL. 

The  eldest  of  the  three  Kimbell  brothers  serving  in  Battery  "A"  was 
Charles  B.  He  was  born  Dec.  6,  1839,  on  the  farm  which  was  the  Kimbell 
homestead  for  over  sixty  years,  now  in  the  city  of  Chicago.  His  school  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  primitive  district  schools  in  the  neighborhood, 
working  on  the  farm  during  the  summer  seasons  and  doing  his  share  in 
assisting  his  parents  in  maintaining  a  home  and  caring  for  the  younger  chil- 
dren of  the  family.  He  finished  up  his  studies  with  a  course  at  Bryant  & 
Stratton's  Commercial  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  spring  of 
1858.  When  but  16  years  of  age  he  engaged  to  teach  a  small  country  school 
at  "Whisky  Point,"  which  he  taught  one  summer,  receiving  the  princely 
salary  of  $8  per  month  and  board.  His  services  were  appreciated  suffi- 


LEWIS  F.  JACOBS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  ilA."  175 

ciently  to  command  a  re-engagement  the  following  summer  at  the  sur- 
prisingly munificent  salary  of  $18  per  month.  The  third  summer  school  was 
offered  him  at  the  same  rate,  but  his  inclinations  were  more  for  active  busi- 
ness, and  in  the  spring  of  1857  he  secured  a  place  with  the  stone  firm  of 
Singer  &  Talcott,  in  Chicago,  as  weigh-boy  in  their  yard.  Here  he  found  his 
life  work,  as  he  remained  with  this  company  and  its  successors  for  thirty- 
three  years,  filling  every  position  in  the  business,  from  weigh-boy  to  presi- 
dent and  general  manager.  He  also  became  interested  with  his  brothers  in 
the  brick  business,  the  Purington  &  Kimbell  Brick  Co.,  and  the  Chicago 
Hydraulic  Press  Brick  Co.,  all  leading  firms  in  their  lines.  In  1889  his 
health  began  to  fail,  his  ailment  being  stomach  trouble,  with  which  he  is 
still  afflicted,  though  not  to  the  extent  that  he  was  a  few  years  ago.  In  1892 
he  was  obliged  to  retire  from  active  business  on  account  of  his  health,  though 
still  retaining  all  his  business  interests,  and  being  retained  in  the  directory 
of  the  Western  Stone  Co.,  which  succeeded  his  old  company.  He  enlisted 
in  the  battery  April  19,  1861,  served  three  months  and  re-enlisted  July  16, 
1861.  He  returned  on  a  ten-day  furlough  at  that  time,  the  first  few  days  of 
which  he  did  not  enjoy  to  the  fullest  extent,  on  account  of  not  being  able  to 
sleep  on  a  soft  bed  at  night.  At  his  father's  suggestion  he  tried  sleeping  on 
the  floor,  with  only  a  blanket  over  the  carpet,  and  he  found  immediate  relief 
from  restlessness  and  wakefulness.  He  remained  \vith  the  battery  till  the 
battle  of  Shiloh,  where  he  was  severely  wounded  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
first  day  by  being  shot  with  a  one-ounce  minie  ball  in  the  left  leg.  Six  other 
members  of  his  squad  were  wounded  at  the  same  time  in  saving  their  gun 
from  being  captured.  Mr.  Kimbell  and  one  other  comrade,  C.  C.  Nelson, 
are  the  only  survivors  of  the  seven  wounded,  all  the  others,  sooner  or  later, 
passing  on  to  their  reward.  He  lay  in  a  tent  pitched  in  a  corn  stubble,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tennessee  River,  all  the  first  .night,  along  with  many  others, 
some  of  whom  died  during  the  night.  His  comrade  and  chum,  A.  V.  Pitts, 
attended  to  him  as  best  he  could  until  the  next  afternoon,  when  he  was 
placed  on  a  hospital  steamer  and  taken  with  a  large  number  of  other  wound- 
ed to  Mound  City  Hospital.  He  had  telegraphed  his  father  from  Paducah, 
and  he  at  once  started  and  met  his  son  at  the  hospital,  where  he  remained 
with  him,  assisting  to  care  for  him  and  other  wounded  boys  of  the  battery 
for  two  weeks,  and  helped  save  Charles'  leg  from  being  amputated,  which 
operation  had  been  decided  upon  by  the  surgeons  as  necessary  to  save  his 
life.  The  high  water  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  forced  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  Mound  City  Hospital,  and  Mr.  Kimbell  secured  a  special  car  of 
the  I.  C.  R.  R.  Co.,  and,  with  a  flat  boat,  took  his  son  and  four  other 
wounded  battery  boys  from  the  second  story  of  the  hospital  and  poled  the 
boat  to  Villa  Ridge,  which  was  as  far  as  the  cars  could  run  on  account  of 
the  high  water.  The  cots  were  shoved  through  the  car  windows  with  the 


WILLIAM  H.  JOHNSON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/4."  177 


boys  on  them,  and  placed  on  top  of  the  backs  of  the  seats,  and  in  this  manner 
brought  to  Chicago,  a  distance  of  365  miles,  where  they  were  received  by 
kind  and  loving  friends,  who  did  all  in  their  power  to  assist  in  their  recovery. 
By  September  Charles  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  get  about 
quite  comfortably  with  a  cane,  and  in  this  condition  rejoined  the  battery  at 
Memphis,  taking  his  two  younger  brothers  and  seven  others  along  with  him 
as  recruits.  His  wound  did  not  improve  as  favorably  as  he  had  hoped  in 
camp,  and  when  he  went  with  the  battery  on  the  Cold  Water  expedition,  he 
found  he  could  not  endure  the  privations  of  field  service,  and  when  the  ex- 
pedition returned  to  Memphis  he  was  discharged  for  disability,  Nov.  10,  1862, 
and  returned  to  his  home.  He  married  Miss  Almira  H.  Bartholomew  Oct. 
10,  1863.  They  have  two  sons,  Sherman  T.  and  Horace  M.,  both  married, 
and  one  daughter,  Sarah  M.,  living  at  home.  They  lived  in  Chicago  until 
1893,  when  his  failing  health  compelled  his  removal,  and  he  removed  to 
Hinsdale,  a  beautiful  suburb  of  Chicago,  seventeen  miles  from  the  city,  where 
he  has  built  and  fitted  up  a  beautiful  and  comfortable  home,  with  large 
grounds  and  gardens,  set  out  with  fruit  and  shade  trees  and  shrubbery. 
Here,  surrounded  by  his  children  and  grandchildren,  he  finds  his  greatest 
comfort,  and  with  partially  restored  health  he  hopes  to  continue  the  struggle 
of  life  till  called  home.  He  has  always  kept  up  an  active  interest  in  his  old 
army  comrades,  and  has  been  the  Secretary  of  the  Battery  Veteran  Associa- 
tion since  its  organization.  He  is  a  member  of  U.  S.  Grant  Post,  No.  28, 
G.  A.  R.,  Chicago,  and  of  the  Union  Veteran  Club,  of  which  he  was  once 
Vice  President.  He  is  a  life  member  of  Cleveland  Lodge,  No.  211,  A.,  F. 
&  A.  M.  He  joined  the  Second  Universalist  Church  Society  of  Chicago  in 
1859,  and  still  retains  his  membership  in  that  society.  He  is  serving  his 
third  term  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Unity  Church  (Uni- 
tarian) of  Hinsdale,  and  since  living  in  Hinsdale  was  elected  and  served  a 
term  of  two  years  in  the  Village  Board  of  Trustees.  His  last  work  has  been 
the  writing  of  the  history  of  his  old  battery,  which,  although  a  great  under- 
taking in  his  condition  of  health,  has  been  such  a  labor  of  love  that  he  has 
really  improved  under  it,  and  feels  amply  repaid  for  his  labors  by  the  many 
flattering  and  grateful  expressions  of  thankfulness  for  his  efforts  from  all  his. 
comrades  and  many  of  their  friends. 

JULIUS  WADSWORTH  KIMBELL. 

The  first  break  in  a  band  of  six  brothers,  all  grown  to  manhood  and 
past  the  middle  age,  maintaining  the  closest  brotherly  relations,  was  made 
by  the  sudden  taking  off  of  the  second  brother,  Julius  W.  Kimbell,  at  his 
home  in  Chicago,  July  17,  1897.  He  died  suddenly  of  heart  disease,  the 
bereavement  to  his  family  and  friends  falling  all  the  heavier  from  the  ab- 
sence of  knowledge  of  the  sad  fact  that  there  were  reasons  for  anticipating 


HARRISON  KELLEY. 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  ^A .  "  1 79 

a  sudden  approaching  departure.  He  was  a  quiet  and  unassuming  man; 
such  hours  as  were  not  given  to  business  were  spent  in  the  dearly  enjoyed 
companionship  of  his  family  and  intimate  friends.  He  belonged  to  no  clubs 
or  secret  societies,  preferring  the  happiness  of  the  delights  of  domestic  life. 
He  was  born  on  the  old  Kimbell  homestead  in  Chicago,  Feb.  6,  1841,  and 
lived  and  died  within  a  few  rods  of  the  spot  where  he  was  born.  He  enlisted 
in  the  battery  in  August,  1862,  and  served  with  it  until  after  the  battle  of 
Arkansas  Post,  where  he  was  severely  injured  by  the  windage  of  a  cannon 
shot,  and  was  discharged  on  account  of  the  injury,  and  returned  home.  In 
January,  1864,  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  to  rejoin  the  battery,  which  he 
did  at  Larkinsville,  Ala.,  and  served  till  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  de- 
tailed on  detached  service  in  the  Ordnance  Department,  and  went  through 
with  Sherman  on  his  march  from  "Atlanta  to  the  Sea."  He  was  sent  via  New 
York  to  Washington,  where  he  was  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  war  and 
returned  home.  For  the  first  few  years  he  remained  on  the  farm,  then  as- 
sociated with  his  brothers  in  the  brick  business,  continuing  his  connection 
and  being  actively  engaged  up  to  the  very  day  of  his  death.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Libbie  A.  Cummings,  March  14,  1889.  Two  sweet  little  daugh- 
ters blessed  the  union,  and,  with  their  widowed  mother,  live  in  the  pleasant 
little  home  he  had  prepared  for  them.  He  had  won  an  enviable  record,  not 
only  as  a  gallant  soldier,  but  as  a  reliable,  honorable  and  upright  business 
man  and  citizen.  He  had  always  kept  himself  closely  in  touch  with  his  old 
army  comrades,  many  of  whom  showed  their  respect  to  his  memory  by  at- 
tending his  funeral  services,  at  which  Comrade  Rexford  was  present  and 
sounded  "taps"  in  a  very  feeling  manner,  that  added  greatly  to  the  im- 
pressiveness  of  the  services.  At  the  annual  reunion  in  September  following 
his  death,  the  association  adopted  the  following  beautiful  and  touching  me- 
rnoriam : 

"In  memoriam  of  Julius  W.  Kimbell.  Again  has  the  grim  conqueror 
invaded  our  ranks.  Since  we  last  met  he  has  called  our  loved  friend  and  com- 
rade, Julius  W.  Kimbell,  from  the  midst  of  loving  friends,  suddenly,  after  his 
last  good-night  to  his  little  ones. 

"Surely  it  was  a  bright  and  shining  mark  that  was  selected  to  sadden 
our  reunion,  for  in  this  gentle,  kind  and  brave  comrade,  one  ever  ready  with 
sympathy,  with  words  of  cheer  for  friends,  and  with  a  smile  and  a  welcome 
for  every  duty,  however  hard  or  dangerous,  we  will  miss  him  sadly. 

"It  was  said  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  the  instructions  to  the  enemy  were  to 
shoot  to  wound,  as  it  would  require  two  men  to  help  the  wounded  man  from 
the  field.  Our  Secretary,  Charles  B.  Kimbell,  was  wounded  there,  and  was 
carried  from  the  field,  not  by  two  comrades,  but  on  the  limber  of  his  gun, 
drawn  by  the  one  surviving  horse,  and  the  response  to  the  shot  that  disabled 
the  elder  brother  was  two  more  Kimbells  to  take  his  place,  one  of  them  the 
friend  we  mourn  to-day,  and  better,  braver  soldiers  never  followed  the  flag. 

"It  was  a  custom  in  the  battery,  when  on  a  march,  for  the  dismounted 
men  to  walk  ahead  of  the  command  and  await  its  coming,  resting. 


CORNELIUS  KENDALL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  'M."  181 


"These  comrades,  who  have  left  us  are  not  lost  to  us,  but  have  gone  on 
before  and  are  resting,  waiting  for  the  battery  to  come  up.  Let  us  look 
forward  to  the  meeting,  the  greatest  reunion,  and  the  last  of  old  Battery 
'A.'  " 


SPENCER  SMALLEY  KIMBELL. 

The  youngest  of  the  three  Kimbell  brothers  serving  in  the  battery  was 
Spencer  S.  Kimbell.  He  was  born  Oct.  8,  1842,  on  the  Kimbell  homestead 
farm,  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  the  home  in  which  he  now  lives  is  within  a 
few  hundred  feet  of  where  he  was  born.  His  school  education  was  acquired 
in  the  district  school,  with  a  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Commercial  Col- 
lege. His  first  work  away  from  home  was  with  the  stone  firm  of  Singer  & 
Talcott,  with  whom  he  began  when  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  with  his 
brother,  Charles  B.,  was  connected  with  the  same  firm  for  twenty-one  years. 
He  then  bought  an  interest  in  the  Excelsior  Stone  Co.,  which  he  managed 
for  five  years,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  D.  V.  Purington  in  the 
brick  manufacturing  business,  which  has  been  his  line  of  work  ever  since. 
He  is  now  and  has  been  for  nine  years  the  general  manager  of  the  Chicago 
Hydraulic  Press  Brick  Co.,  one  of  the  largest  firms  in  the  West.  As  a  busi- 
ness man  he  has  been  eminently  successful,  and  by  strictly  honest,  legitimate 
and  honorable  methods,  has  amassed  a  comfortable  fortune  of  earthly  treas- 
ures, and  established  for  himself  a  character  for  honesty,  integrity,  sound 
judgment  and  punctuality  among  his  business  associates,  and  throughout 
the  great  city  of  his  birth,  and  his  word  is  regarded  as  good  as  his  bond. 
As  a  true  citizen  of  this  great  Republic  he  recognizes  fully  his  responsibilities 
and  duties  as  such,  and  has  taken  an  active  and  intelligent  interest  in  public 
affairs,  and  has  sought  to  wield  a  worthy  influence  in  behalf  of  honest  gov- 
ernment and  honorable  and  legitimate  methods.  He  has  held  several  po- 
litical offices,  though  never  of  his  own  seeking.  He  was  School  Director 
for  four  years,  Village  Trustee  two  years,  Township  Treasurer  seven  years, 
County  Commissioner  two  terms,  and  member  of  the  City  Council  two 
years.  He  has  always  given  the  same  careful  attention  to  public  business 
entrusted  to  his  hands  that  he  has  to  his  own.  He  enlisted  in  Battery  "A," 
Aug.  6,  1862,  and  joined  the  battery  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  remaining  with  it 
continuously  till  the  close  of  the  war,  never  missing  an  hour's  duty,  or  a 
march  or  engagement,  and  never  having  a  moment's  sickness,  and  returned 
home  stronger  and  healthier  than  when  he  enlisted.  He  joined  the  battery 
as  private,  was  promoted  to  first  sergeant  and  to  Second  Lieutenant,  with 
which  rank  he  was  mustered  out  July  10,  1865.  He  was  married  Sept.  6, 
1864,  to  Miss  Isabella  P.  Millard.  They  have  four  children  living,  Mrs.  Lucy 
Kimbell  Heafield  and  Mrs.  Fanny  Kimbell  Binyon,  and  Florence  and  Mary 
Kimbell.  The  married  daughters  live  close  by  their  father's  home,  and 


T.  W.   KENNEDY. 


Jfl 'STORY  OF  BATTERY  "/?."  183 

three  lively  little  grandchildren  brighten  their  homes  and  gladden  their 
hearts.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason,  is  a  member  of  Ben  Butler 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  of  the  Chicago  Union  Veteran  Club.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  he  is  and  always  has  been  a  stanch  and  uncompromising  Republican 
in  national  politics.  He  is  a  Universalist  in  religious  belief,  and  has  been 
connected  with  the  Third  Universalist  Church  of  Chicago  for  over  ten  years. 
He  has  served  continuously  on  its  Board  of  Trustees. 

FREDERICK  B.  LEAVITT. 

No  member  of  Battery  "A"  will  ever  forget  genial,  clever  "Old  Mor- 
pheus," as  Fred.  B.  Leavitt  was  affectionately  christened  by  his  comrades, 
from  his  ability  to  put  in  more  sleep  when  off  duty,  with  less  effort,  than  any 
other  member  of  the  battery.  This  happy  trait  would  not  apply  to  him  in 
any  respect  when  on  duty,  however,  as  a  more  ready  and  willing  worker  did 
not  belong  to  the  company.  Fred,  was  born  at  St.  Charles,  111.,  Oct.  6,  1840. 
After  he  was  old  enough  to  attend  school  he  moved  to  Chicago,  where  he 
went  to  the  public  school,  and  one  year  at  college  till  1861.  He  left  college 
to  learn  the  brick-making  trade  with  his  uncle  at  Park  Ridge,  111.  He  left 
this  employment  to  enlist  as  private  in  the  battery  July  16,  1861,  at  Chicago. 
He  was  with  the  battery  in  every  engagement  during  his  three  years  of  ser- 
vice, which  was  continuous,  excepting  a  thirty-day  furlough  after  the  siege 
of  Jackson,  and  was  mustered  out  July  23,  1864,  at  Springfield,  111.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Jessie  F.  Dannells  Feb.  6,  1883,  and  has  one  daughter.  The  first 
two  years  after  the  war  he  was  in  business  in  Chicago,  since  which  time  he 
has  followed  railroading,  at  which  he  is  still  employed.  He  lives  in  Austin, 
a  suburb  of  Chicago. 

JAMES  HENRY  LONG. 

One  of  Chicago's  most  substantial  and  reliable  citizens  is  J.  H.  Long. 
He  is  well  known  in  railroad  circles,  and  has  established  a  large  and  pros- 
perous business  as  dealer  in  railroad  supplies.  He  is  enjoying  success  and 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has  social  or  business  rela- 
tions. He  was  born  in  Chicago  March  5,  1844,  and  was  one  of  the  youngest 
members  of  the  battery,  in  which  he  was  enlisted  as  private  in  February,  1862, 
at  Chicago,  by  Major  Willard.  He  attended  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
the  city,  and  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment  was  working  as  teller  in  a  bank. 
He  participated  with  the  battery  in  all  its  battles  from  April,  1862,  to  March, 
1865.  He  was  ordnance  sergeant  of  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  from  August, 
1862,  to  1865,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
enlistment.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Belle  Johnson,  of  Galena,  in  1867,  and 
resides  in  a  pleasant  home  at  4735  Kimbark  avenue. 


SAMPSON  KENNEDY 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/I"  185 


WILLIAM.  LOWE. 

William  Lowe  was  born  in  New  York  City,  Dec.  21,  1838.  He  came  to 
Chicago  when  a  youth,  where  he  attended  school  till  sixteen  years  old,  when 
he  went  as  rodman  for  James  Potter,  a  Civil  engineer.  After  two  years'  ser- 
vice with  him,  he  worked  as  assistant  engineer  with  the  same  gentleman. 
He  was  so  engaged  when  he  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery,  April  16,  1861. 
He  served  with  it  for  three  full  years,  from  "start  to  finish,"  and  was  mus- 
tered out  July  28,  1864.  After  his  return  from  the  army  he  engaged  with 
the  city  of  Chicago  in  the  sewerage  department,  as  assistant  engineer,  up  to 
June  i,  1895,  when  he  was  appointed  principal  engineer.  In  October,  1896, 
he  was  made  expert  engineer,  and  in  1897  was  appointed  to  the  responsible 
position  of  Engineer  in  charge  of  the  division  of  intercepting  sewers  of  the 
city,  which  position  he  holds  at  the  present  time.  He  married  Miss  Kate 
E.  Fish,  in  September,  1865.  They  have  one  daughter.  His  picture  shows 
him  as  he  looked  when  forty-five  years  old.  He  is  now  in  his  sixty-first  year, 
though  much  younger  appearing. 

CHARLES  A.  LAMB. 

The  veteran  of  the  battery  in  years,  as  well  as  in  wisdom,  experience 
and  goodness,  which  were  commensurate  with  his  age,  was  Charles  A. 
Lamb.  He  passed  away  at  his  home  in  Albion,  Mich.,  Sept.  23,  1893,  in  his 
seventy-ninth  year.  He  had  attended  an  annual  reunion  of  the  battery  in 
Chicago  exactly  two  weeks  before,  at  which  time  his  feeble  condition  made 
it  painfully  apparent  to  his  comrades  that  he  would  undoubtedly  soon  be 
called  to  answer  the  last  roll  call.  So,  while  his  taking  off  was  sudden,  it  was 
not  entirely  unexpected,  and  it  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  his  comrades,  as  it 
was  a  pleasure  to  him,  to  have  met  so  many  of  them  so  short  a  time  before 
his  departure.  To  all  the  members  of  the  battery  he  seemed  like  a  father,  or 
an  older  brother.  While  he  made  no  loud  professions  of  piety  or  morality, 
his  daily  life  was  a  constant  example  worthy  of  emulation.  His  patriotism, 
zeal  and  energy  were  not  excelled  by  any  of  the  younger  members,  and  his 
words  of  conns-el  and  advice  were  ever  ready  for  and  and  heeded  by  them. 

He  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Conn.,  Aug.  21,  1815,  where  he  lived  till 
early  manhood,  when  he  went  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  learned  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Maumee,  Ohio,  where  for  several 
years  he  carried  on  the  furniture  business  on  his  own  account.  Here  he 
built  up  a  good  business,  and  had  a  cosy  home,  and  had  a  number  of  men  in 
his  employ.  As  this  place  (now  South  Toledo),  was  only  ten  miles  from 
Toledo,  he,  with  numbers  of  others,  moved  their  establishments  to  Toledo, 
where  he  opened  a  store,  on  Summit  street.  The  sinking  of  a  cargo  of  fur- 
niture he  had  purchased  from  Buffalo,  uninsured,  ruined  him  financiallv.  and 


GEORGE  KING. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/</."  is/ 


he  was  ever  after  a  salesman  or  manager  for  others  in  that  line,  which  was 
his  life  business.  After  closing  up  his  affairs  in  Toledo  he  came  to  Chicago. 
On  the  i  Qth  of  April,  1861,  he  enlisted  in  Battery  "A,"  in  Chicago,  served 
three  months  as  artificer,  and  re-enlisted  for  three  years,  July  16,  1861.  He 
served  continuously  and  faithfully  the  full  term  of  his  enlistment,  and  was 
mustered  out  July  23,  1864.  On  his  return  to  Chicago  he  was  met  at  the 
depot  by  his  former  employer,  who  had  always  been  a  warm  friend  of  Mr. 
Lamb.  He  informed  him  his  place  was  ready  and  waiting  for  him,  and  he 
began  wTork  the  next  day,  without  loss  of  time.  In  October,  1865,  he  began 
work  in  the  employ  of  Charles  Tobey,  a  large  furniture  dealer.  In  May, 
1870,  he  went  to  Omaha  to  take  charge  of  a  branch  establishment  in  that 
city  for  the  Thayer  &  Tobey  Furniture  Co.,  where  he  remained  nearly  two 
years.  Returning  to  Chicago  early  in  1872,  he  took  a  position  with  the  fur- 
niture concern  of  A.  L.  Hale  &  Bro.,  which  he  filled  for  nearly  two  years. 
From  Chicago  he  removed  to  Albion,  Mich.,  where  he  lived  in  quiet  retire- 
ment until  his  death.  His  wives  were  estimable  ladies,  from  Sharon,  Conn., 
adjoining  his  own  native  town.  His  widow,  Matilda  Benedict  Lamb,  sur- 
vives him,  and  now  resides  at  Sharon.  He  had  one  daughter,  two  sons,  and 
two  grandsons.  His  daughter,  Anne  C.,  resides  in  New  York  City,  where 
she  has  been  a  teacher  in  private  schools  for  nearly  twenty  years.  One  son, 
Fred  Reed  Lamb,  has  lived  in'  Chicago  since  early  youth.  He  was  also  a 
soldier  in  the  Union  army  about  a  year,  and  since  the  war  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  Selz,  Schwab  &  Co.,  extensive  boot  and  shoe  manufacturers.  An- 
other son  is  George  A.  Lamb,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  Mr.  Lamb's  remains 
were  buried  in  his  native  town  of  Salisbury,  Conn. 

FRANCIS  MORGAN. 

A  great  deal  of  the  efficiency  of  the  battery  can  be  attributed  to  its 
early  training  and  discipline  under  Lieutenant,  afterward  Captain,  Francis 
Morgan.  He  was  one  of  twelve  children,  nine  sons  and  three  daughters, 
born  in  Surrey,  near  London,  England,  July  3,  1837,  and  came  to  Chicago 
with  his  parents  in  1844,  and  that  city  was  his  home  during  the  remainder  of 
his  life.  After  coming  to  Chicago  he  was  placed  in  Russell's  Military  School 
at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  there  took  a  full  course  of  an  education  the  line 
of  which  he  followed  almost  constantly  during  his  life.  His  tastes  were 
almost  wholly  confined  to  military  lore,  and  when  the  war  broke  out  he  was 
particularly  well  fitted  to  do  good  service  for  his  adopted  country.  He 
joined  the  battery  in  Chicago,  April  19,  1861,  serving  the  three  months'  term 
and  re-enlisting  July,  1861,  for  three  years  in  the  same  command.  Not 
being  of  a  strong  physical  nature,  his  health  succumbed  to  the  hardships 
of  the  campaign,  and  while  the  battery  was  stationed  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  he  was 
forced  to  return  home  on  a  sick  furlough.  Before  he  had  fully  recovered 


MR.  AND  MRS.  M.   N.   KIMBELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "//."  189 

he  returned  to  the  battery  just  before  the  advance  on  Fort  Donelson.  Par- 
ticipating in  that  battle  he  was  again  stricken  down  with  sickness  and  was 
sent  home  just  before  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  resigning  his  commission  as 
Captain,  and  his  poor  health  continuing,  did  not  again  enter  the  service. 
He  rendered  valuable  service  during  the  Chicago  railroad  riots  in  1887,  being 
on  the  Governor's  staff  at  that  time.  Previous  to  this  he  had  been  on  the 
staff  of  Governor  Beveridge.  He  died  at  193  Michigan  avenue,  "The  Beau- 
rivage,"  a  building  which  he  named,  Aug.  6,  1897.  The  Loyal  Legion,  of 
which  he  was  an  old  and  active  member,  had  charge  of  his  funeral.  As  a 
charter  member  of  the  Chicago  Club  he  made  the  club  his  residence  for  a 
number  of  years.  He  had  never  married.  Among  his  army  comrades  and 
friends  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  as  a  thorough  gentleman  and  a 
man  whose  integrity  of  character  and  innate  honesty  had  never  been  ques- 
tioned. 

THOMAS  A.  MCKNIGHT. 

The  Eleventh  Indiana  Infantry  Regiment  contributed  one  valuable 
member  to  the  battery,  in  the  person  of  Thomas  A.  McKnight,  who  was  de- 
tailed from  Company  "B,"  of  that  regiment,  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  in  September, 
1861,  by  order  of  General  U.  S.  Grant,  to  serve  as  blacksmith  in  the  battery. 
He  had  only  enlisted  the  month  before,  but,  being  a  first-class  blacksmith, 
he  preferred  working  at  his  trade  when  he  could  do  so  and  be  serving  his 
country  at  the  same  time.  He  remained  with  the  battery,  doing  faithful 
duty,  until  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment,  and  was  then  mustered 
out  at  Atlanta,  Ga.  After  his  discharge  he  went  to  Covington,  Ind.,  where 
he  resumed  work  at  his  trade,  also  dealing  in  horses.  He  married  Miss  Helen 
A.  Gish  in  1867.  They  have  four  children,  all  girls.  He  was  born  in  Middle- 
town,  Ohio,  April  7,  1838. 

GEORGE  McCAGG. 

Less  than  two  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  one  of  the  most  honored 
and  beloved  members  of  the  battery,  George  McCagg,  passed  away  at  his 
home  in  Chicago.  His  health  and  constitution  had  been  undermined  by  his 
three  years  and  three  months'  hard  and  faithful  service  in  the  battery,  and 
the  hope  of  his  friends  that  a  change  to  his  home  climate,  and  proper  care  and 
treatment  might  work  a  cure,  was  not  realized,  and  he  passed  to  the  higher 
life  April  8,  1867.  George  McCagg  was  a  true,  natural-born  gentleman,  and 
a  brave  and  faithful  soldier,  a  noble  example  of  the  two  qualities  being  com- 
bined in  the  same  individual,  without  ostentation,  or  the  giving  of  offense 
to  his  associates.  He  was  born  in  Hudson,  Columbia  County,  New  York, 
July  22,  1831.  He  lived  the  early  years  of  his  life  with  his  father  on  a  farm 


CHARLES  B.   KIMBELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/I"  191 

in  Stockport,  in  the  same  county,  and  later  on  came  to  Chicago  and  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business,  and  was  so  occupied  when  the  war  broke  out.  He 
enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  April  19,  1861,  was  appointed  corporal, 
and  served  through  the  three  months'  service.  He  re-enlisted  for  three 
years  July  16,  1861,  and  served  the  full  term  of  his  enlistment,  being  mus- 
tered out  in  July,  1864,  as  Lieutenant.  He  had,  previous  to  his  promotion 
as  Lieutenant,  served  as  quartermaster  sergeant,  succeeding  E.  P.  Tobey, 
who  was  promoted  to  Lieutenant.  He  passed  through  the  entire  service 
without  any  serious  injuries,  though  he  had  some  very  narrow  escapes.  His 
horse  was  shot  from  under  him  and  killed  at  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post.  He 
was  as  cool  and  brave  a  soldier  as  the  army  contained.  Captain  Wood,  in 
his  official  reports  of  the  battles  of  Shiloh  and  Arkansas  Post,  made  especial 
mention  of  him  and  the  part  he  bore  in  those  engagements.  He  was  offered 
a  position  by  General  Sherman  on  his  staff,  and,  while  appreciating  the 
honor,  respectfully  declined,  preferring,  as  he  expressed  it,  to  remain  with 
the  "boys,"  to  whom  he  was  greatly  attached,  and  which  attachment  was 
fully  reciprocated.  He  died  unmarried,  and  his  remains  were  taken  to 
Stockport,  N.  Y.,  and  buried  with  those  of  his  parents. 

JAMES  W.  MILNER. 

No  member  of  the  battery  was  better  known  or  more  universally  well 
liked  by  all  his  comrades  than  James  W.  Milner.  Those  who  have  never 
stood  side  by  side,  elbow  to  elbow  together,  behind  or  beside  our  country's 
flag,  while  following  it  amid  the  scenes  of  battle  and  strife,  can  little  under- 
stand the  emotions  that  fill  the  heart  and  cause  the  eyes  to  dim  of  one  who  is 
left  to  write  of  a  comrade's  worth,  patriotism  and  valor,  while  serving  during 
those  terrible  years  of  civil  war.  He  was  born  at  Kingston,  Ontario,  Canada, 
Jan.  n,  1841,  and  came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents  at  an  early  age.  While 
a  youth  he  traveled  and  studied  for  a  while  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Goodfellow. 
He  then  entered  the  Northwestern  University  at  Evanston,  and  was  a  stu- 
dent in  that  institution  in  1862  when  he  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  in 
Chicago,  serving  the  entire  three-year  term  of  his  enlistment,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  Aug.  24,  1864. 

He  was  always  at  his  post,  ever  ready  and  willing.  As  a  friend  and 
brother  soldier,  in  camp  or  field,  he  was  "true  blue,"  ever  kind  and  obliging, 
honorable  to  a  fault,  and  always  a  gentleman.  It  can  be  truly  said  he  was 
beloved  by  every  officer  and  private  in  our  battery.  At  the  terrible  battle 
of  Atlanta,  on  July  22,  1864,  when  almost  a  hand  to  hand  encounter  was 
being  enacted,  and  so  many  of  our  brave  boys  were  captured,  he  mirac- 
ulously escaped,  although  the  last  man  to  leave  the  gun.  He  had  always  said 
he  would  as  soon  be  killed  as  to  be  captured  and  perhaps  starve  to  death  in 


JULIUS  W.   KIMBELL. 


HISTTORY  OF  EATERY  "A"  193 


some  rebel  slaughter  pen.    This  resolve  possibly  led  him  to  take  some  des- 
perate chances  to  escape,  which  others  would  not  have  taken. 

While  the  battery  was  in  camp  at  Larkinsville,  during  the  winter  of 
1864,  he  contributed  more  than  any  other  member,  in  dispelling  the  blues 
and  rendering  camp-life  endurable,  if  not  enjoyable,  by  writing  and  placing 
upon  the  boards  a  play  for  the  theatrical  combination  of  which  he  was 
President  and  Fred  S.  Church  scenic  artist.  It  proved  a  great  attraction  and 
success.  After  being  mustered  out  he  returned  home,  and  later  on  was  ap- 
pointed Department  United  States  Commissioner  of  Fish  and  Fisheries,  in 
which  position  he  rendered  very  efficient  service  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred at  Waukegan,  111.,  Jan.  6,  1880.  Prof.  Baird,  of  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitution, in  writing  to  his  widow  at  the  time  of  his  death,  said:  "He  was  the 
best  posted  man  in  fish  culture  in  the  United  States,  and  the  eyes  of  the  fish 
world  were  upon  him."  He  and  his  family  Were  always  proud,  and  justly  so, 
of  the  fact  that  after  the  publication  of  the  first  Government  Report,  the 
Northwestern  University  recognized  his  literary  accomplishments  by  con- 
ferring upon  him  a  degree,  the  only  instance  in  which  an  undergraduate 
had  been  so  honored.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Fay,  at  Waukegan, 
111.,  Jan.  i,  1872,  by  whom  he  had  two  daughters,  who,  with  their  widowed 
mother,  survive  him,  and  now  reside  in  Chicago. 


EDWARD   MENDSEN. 

One  of  the  oldest  and  most  prominent  lumber  men  of  Chicago  is  Ed- 
ward Mendsen,  of  Evanston,  111.  He  was  a  member  of  the  battery  when  the 
war  broke  out,  having  joined  in  1856  and  continued  his  membership.  He 
served  during  the  three  months'  service  as  orderly  sergeant,  and  was  in 
charge  of  the  gun  squad  and  was  stationed  at  Big  Muddy  Bridge  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  war.  The  boys  had  no  tents  while  there,  and  Mendsen's 
shelter  was  an  old  hollow  tree.  He  was  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  the  three 
months'  service,  his  term  of  enlistment  having  expired.  He  was  born  in 
Cherryville,  Pa.,  Dec.  31,  1834,  and  lived  on  a  farm  there  until  fifteen  years 
old,  when  he  came  to  Chicago  in  August,  1849.  He  served  an  apprentice- 
ship of  three  years  with  Welch  &  Launder,  carriage  manufacturers,  receiving 
the  princely  salary  of  $25  per  year  and  board.  In  1861  he  was  in  partnership 
with  his  brother,  J.  F.  Mendsen,  in  a  carriage  manufactory,  at  the  corner 
of  Ann  and  Randolph  streets.  They  closed  out  their  business  in  1863,  an(^ 
Edward  entered  the  lumber  business,  which  he  is  still  successfully  engaged 
in.  He  married  Mary  E.  Boggs  Oct.  17,  1861,  and  has  three  children  and 
eight  grandchildren.  Mrs.  Mendsen  died  in  1874,  and  he  married  Mrs. 
James  D.  Kline  for  a  second  wife,  in  May,  1884,  and  resides  in  Evanston,  111. 


SPENCER  S.   KIMBELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  195 


LEWIS  B.  MITCHELL. 

A  war  record  of  which  any  comrade  may  well  be  proud  is  the  one  made 
by  Lewis  B.  Mitchell,  now  residing  at  No.  50  Astor  street,  Chicago.  He 
\vas  born  at  Akron,  Ohio,  May  6,  1841,  where  he  lived  until  1852,  when  he 
went  to  Chicago  and  remained  there  until  the  war  broke  out,  and  has  resided 
there  since  the  war.  He  was  clerk  in  the  general  freight  office  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment  as  private  in  the  battery, 
April  17,  1861.  He  served  in  squad  six  through  the  three  months'  service, 
and  re-enlisted  July  16,  1861,  for  three  years.  Soon  after  his  re-enlistment 
he  received  a  Lieutenant's  commission  (Junior  First),  in  Campbell's  Bat- 
tery, and  later  was  appointed  Senior  First  Lieutenant  in  Battery  "H,"  First 
Illinois  Artillery.  He  was  Captain  and  A.  D.  C.  to  General  Logan,  and  was 
breveted  Major  U.  S.  V.  He  was  mustered  out  by  general  order  from  the 
War  Department  Sept.  6,  1865,  the  war  having  ended.  He  married  Miss 
Nettie  Bodman,  of  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis.,  has  had  two  daughters,  one  living. 
He  has  been  engaged  in  the  commission  business  on  the  Board  of  Trade, 
and  enjoys  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large  number  of  comrades  and 
business  associates. 

CONANT  CONRAD  NELSON. 

Of  the  seven  members  of  squad  two  wounded  in  the  first  day's  fight  at 
Shiloh  in  saving  their  gun,  two  only  survive,  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch, 
and  C.  B.  Kimbell.  They  have  not  seen  each  other  since  the  fateful  day, 
and  for  many  years  the  comrades  of  the  battery  lost  all  trace  of  Comrade 
Nelson,  but  of  late  years  correspondence  has  brought  them  near  each  other, 
and  he  is  living  in  hopes  of  meeting  with  them  in  person  in  the  near  future. 
He  was  born  in  Lewis,  Essex  County,  New  York,  May  24,  1831,  on  his 
father's  farm.  Here  he  grew  up  from  childhood,  attending  the  district  school 
and  working  on  the  farm,  until  1845,  when  he  went  to  Burlington,  Vt.,  and 
went  to  work  as  an  errand  boy,  and  subsequently  as  clerk,  until  1847.  He 
then  went  into  a  law  office  in  Syracuse,  but  that  work  not  being  to  his  taste, 
he  again  went  to  work  in  a  dry  goods  and  general  grocery  store.  After  a  few 
years  he  came  West  and  went  on  the  road  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  the 
large  dry  goods  firm  of  Bowen  Bros.,  having  the  Northern  and  Western 
States  for  his  territory.  He  had  just  come  in  from  a  trip  about  the  middle  of 
April,  1861,  and  was  invoicing  preparatory  to  starting  out  again  when  the 
war  fever  broke  out  and  took  hold  of  him  strong,  and  he  enlisted  in  the  bat- 
tery April  19  and  left  the  city  with  it  on  the  2ist  for  Cairo.  He  re-enlisted 
July  1 6,  1861,  for  three  years,  and  was  in  the  service  as  private  up  to  and  in- 
cluding the  first  days'  fight  at  Shiloh.  Here  he  was  severely  wounded  late  in 
the  afternoon,  a  ball  entering  his  left  arm  near  the  elbow,  and  passing  down 


FRED.  B.  LEAVITT. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  197 


into  the  wrist,  where  it  was  extracted  two  weeks  after  by  Dr.  Taylor,  of  Chi- 
cago, who  was  boat  surgeon  on  the  boat  that  carried  a  large  number  of  the 
wounded  to  the  hospitals  at  Evansville  and  Paducah.  His  wound  was  probed 
in  a  log  cabin  hospital  on  the  battlefield  the  night  he  was  wounded,  but  the 
bullet  was  not  found,  and  he  was  put  on  a  steamer  and  taken  down  to  Sa- 
vannah. He  was  placed  in  a  building  on  a  brick  floor,  with  no  blanket,  and 
did  not  sleep  for  two  nights,  and  suffered  excruciating  pain  from  his  wound. 
He  was  taken  to  the  hospital  at  Evansville,  Ind.,  from  which  he  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  his  wound  June  16,  1862.  He  then  went  to  Chicago 
for  a  short  time.  Since  the  war,  except  about  ten  years  when  conducting  a 
small  business  for  himself,  he  has  been  a  government  clerk,  and  at  present  is 
a  clerk  in  the  Pension  Office.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  Chute,  of  In- 
diana, who  died  Oct.  i,  1898,  leaving  him  a  widower  with  two  girls  and  a 
boy,  the  eldest  seventeen  years  of  age.  He  lives  in  Maryland,  six  miles  from 
Washington,  and  finds  his  time  fully  occupied  at  work  and  going  back  and 
forth. 

ALFRED  W.  PENDLETON. 

The  State  of  "wooden  nutmegs"  furnished  a  goodly  number  of  native 
sons  for  Battery  "A,"  among  them  being  Alfred  W.  Pendleton.  He  was 
born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  July  I,  1837,  and  passed  his  early  years  in  Con- 
necticut on  a  farm.  He  came  to  Chicago,  and  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war  was  a  member  of  the  fire  department.  He  quit  the  service  of  the  city 
in  fighting  fire  to  undertake  the  more  perilous  service  of  fighting  for  his 
country,  and  enlisted  in  Battery  "A,"  Aug.  6,  1862,  in  Chicago.  He  served 
as  private,  postillion  and  sergeant,  in  which  rank  he  was  serving  when  mus- 
tered out  in  July,  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  breast  by  fragments  of  a  shell  before  Vicksburg,  July  3,  1863,  which 
was  the  only  injury  he  received  in  the  service.  Returning  to  Chicago  at  the 
close  of  the  war  he  re-entered  the  service  of  the  fire  department,  and  served 
his  time  till  pensioned  and  retired.  He  married  and  has  two  children  and 
one  grandchild. 

JAMES  PHILLIPS. 

To  be  the  hero  and  a  veteran  of  two  wars  is  a  distinction  which  but  a  few 
of  the  members  of  Battery  "A"  could  claim.  Among  those  who  could  was 
James  Phillips.  He  enlisted  in  the  Mexican  war  in  1848  and  served  nine 
months,  the  closing  of  the  war  terminating  his  service.  He  was  born  in 
Michigan  Nov.  17,  1825,  and  his  childhood  and  youth  were  spent  in  his 
native  State  and  New  York.  He  came  to  Chicago  in  1851,  and  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war  was  truckman  for  the  large  foundry  concern  of  P.  W. 


JAMES  HENRY  LONG. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  199 


Gates.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  July  28,  1861,  as  private,  and 
served  as  postillion  till  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment, 
July  23,  1864.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Barns  before  the  war.  They 
had  four  children,  one  of  whom  died  during  his  lifetime.  He  was  driver  in 
the  city  fire  department  for  eleven  years  after  the  war,  then  with  the  Michi- 
gan Southern  road  till  his  death.  He  died  in  Chicago,  March  27,  1893,  and 
was  buried  in  Oakwoods  Cemetery.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had  three 
children,  four  living  grandchildren  and  one  great-grandchild.  His  widow 
still  lives  in  Chicago. 

AURELIUS  YERXOX  PITTS. 

On  the  ist  of  March,  1895,  there  passed  from  the  ranks  of  the  survivors 
of  "Battery  "A"  one  of  its  most  esteemed  and  popular  members.  A.  V.  Pitts. 
He  died  at  his  home  in  Chicago  on  that  day,  after  having  been  a  sufferer 
from  poor  health  for  many  months.  He  left  a  devoted  wrife  and  a  fifteen- 
year  old  son  surviving  him.  He  was  born  in  Winthrop,  Maine,  Oct.  3,  1836. 
In  1849,  with  his  father's  family,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  located  at  Alton, 
where  they  remained  two  years.  They  came  to  Chicago  in  1851  and  estab- 
lished a  plant  for  the  manufacturing  of  the  celebrated  Pitts  threshing  ma- 
chines, of  which  his  father,  Hiram  A.  Pitts,  was  the  inventor.  They  also 
manufactured  horse  powers  and  other  farm  implements.  His  father  died 
in  1860.  after  which  the  sons,  A.  Y.  Pitts  and  three  brothers,  took  charge  of 
the  works.  After  the  great  Chicago  fire  the  works  were  removed  to  Mar- 
seilles, 111.  Aurelius  was  fifteen  years  old  when  he  came  to  Chicago.  He 
received  his  primary  education  in  his  native  city,  and  afterwards  attended 
the  public  schools  of  Chicago.  He  learned  the  trade  of  machinist  in  his 
father's  works,  and  became  a  practical  operator  in  them.  He  enlisted  in 
Battery  "A"  in  Chicago,  April  19,  1861,  re-enlisted  in  same  company  July 
28,  1 86 1,  and  served  continuously  and  faithfully,  as  private,  until  the  end 
of  his  term  of  enlistment,  and  was  mustered  out  and  returned  to  Chicago  in 
July,  1864.  A.  V.  Pitts  was  a  naturally  inventive  genius,  and  many  of  the 
obstacles  and  difficulties  of  army  life  were  overcome  by  means  suggested  by 
his  thoughtful  attention.  Whenever  any  difficulty  presented  itself  he  would 
at  once  set  his  mind  at  work  to  solve  it,  and  his  suggestions  were  usually 
heeded  and  commended  by  the  officers  and  his  comrades  of  the  battery.  A 
notable  instance  of  his  tact  was  illustrated  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  In  the  first 
day's  fight,  toward  its  close,  five  of  the  members  of  his  squad,  himself  among 
them,  were  shot,  four  of  them  seriously.  He  being  less  severely  wounded 
was  detailed  to  take  charge  of  them  the  first  night,  and  all  were  placed  in  a 
V  tent  on  the  bare  ground,  pitched  in  a  corn  stubble  near  the  bank  of  the 
river,  under  the  shelter  of  the  guns  of  the  gunboats.  C.  B.  Kimbell,  who 
had  been  his  messmate  from  the  beginning,  was  among  the  most  danger- 


WILLIAM  LOWE. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  201 

ously  wounded.  When  Pitts  succeeded  in  getting  the  hurried  attendance 
of  a  surgeon  for  a  few  moments,  some  five  hours  after  his  being  shot,  the 
surgeon  prescribed  a  poultice  of  flax  meal  and  pulverized  charcoal  the  full 
length  of  Kimbell's  leg,  which  was  now  as  black  as  a  stovepipe  and  swollen  as 
full  as  the  skin  would  hold.  In  the  demoralized  condition  of  everything  after 
a  hard  day's  fighting,  commissary  and  medical  stores  were  not  easily  obtained, 
and  where  to  get  the  material  to  carry  out  the  surgeon's  directions  would 
have  discouraged  many  a  less  thoughtful  man.  Not  so  with  A.  V.  Pitts. 
He  went  into  the  woods  a  distance  until  he  found  the  remnants  of  a  burnt 
log  heap,  and  digging  into  it  secured  a  quantity  of  very  passable  charcoal. 
This  he  put  into  a  gunny  sack  and,  pounding  it  between  two  stones,  soon  had 
quite  a  quantity  of  a  very  good  article  of  charcoal.  Flaxseed  could  not  be 
had  but  he  thought  wheat  bran  would  be  a  very  good  substitute,  and,  going 
to  the  river  bank,  he  secured  a  sack  from  the  quartermaster's  stores,  and 
getting  a  pail  mixed  it  full  of  coal  and  bran,  well  wet,  and  ripping  up  a  fine 
gunny  sack  he  spread  the  improvised  poultice  on  it,  and  before  midnight 
had  the  leg  of  his  suffering  comrade  wrapped  in  it  and  made  as  comfortable 
as  possible  under  the  difficult  circumstances.  The  surgeons  afterward  said 
that,  only  for  the  prompt  and  thoughtful  action  taken  by  Pitts,  Kimbell 
would  have  undoubtedly  lost  his  leg  and  perhaps  his  life.  Kimbell  and 
Pitts  enjoyed  each  other's  firm  and  lasting  friendship  until  the  day  of  his 
death,  and  Kimbell,  with  other  comrades  of  the  battery,  assisted  in  the  sad 
duty  of  laying  his  remains  in  their  final  resting  place  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Bentley,  of  Chicago,  in  Rockford,  111.,  May  25,  1865, 
who,  as  before  stated,  survives  him.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  per- 
formed by  the  Rev.  Robt,  Bentley,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Pitts. 

WILLIAM  R.  PAGE. 

One  of  the  prominent  and  successful  lawyers  of  Chicago  is  the  subject 
of  this  brief  review. 

He  was  born  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri,  Oct.  9,  1843,  m's  father, 
Captain  John  Page,  of  the  Fourth  United  States  Infantry,  being  at  that 
time  in  command  of  the  post.  In  the  Mexican  war,  at  the  battle  of  Palo 
Alto,  Captain  Page  was  mortally  wounded.  From  that  time  and  for  many 
years  Wm.  R.  Page  was  without  a  permanent  home,  until,  in  his  later  and 
mature  life,  he  came  to  Chicago.  In  1852  he  accompanied  his  mother  to 
Rome,  Italy,  where  he  remained  a  year,  then  entered  a  preparatory  school  in 
Florence,  which  he  attended  for  three  years.  He  then  went  to  Paris  and  was 
admitted  to  the  "Lycee  Bonaparte,"  one  of  the  colleges  of  the  Napoleonic 
empire,  in  which  he  prosecuted  his  studies  until  1858.  Returning  to  the 
United  States  he  became  a  student  of  the  Northwestern  University  at  Evans- 
ton,  111.,  where  he  continued  his  studies  until  1861.  On  the  call  for  troops 


CHARLES  A.   LAMB. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  203 

he  immediately  abandoned  his  studies  and,  with  his  brother,  now  General 
John  H.  Page,  of  the  Third  United  States  Infantry,  enlisted  in  Battery  A, 
Chicago  Light  Artillery.  He  served  as  a  private  in  this  battery  at  Cairo,  and 
at  Paducah,  and  in  the  fall  of  1861  was  commissioned  a  Second  Lieutenant 
in  a  detached  company  of  Ohio  troops,  known  then  at  the  Benton  Cadets, 
which  was  to  be  consolidated  with  other  companies  into  a  regiment.  He 
immediately  reported  to  St.  Louis,  and  was  ordered  to  the  front  at  Jefferson 
City,  where  the  main  army  under  General  J.  C.  Fremont  had  been  concen- 
trated. From  this  point  commenced  the  chase  of  General  Price's  army, 
which  was  unremittently  continued  as  far  as  Springfield,  Mo.,  when  General 
Fremont  was  relieved  by  General  Hunter,  and  the  Army  of  the  Missouri 
was  ordered  back  to  Rolla.  Lieutenant  Page  on  arrival  at  Rolla  was  in- 
formed that  nearly  the  entire  family  Was  then  in  service,  and  that  sickness 
and  family  interests  demanded  the  return  of  some  one  of  them.  Lieutenant 
Page  was  the  one  selected,  and  against  his  desire  and  under  protest  ac- 
ceded to  the  request.  He  took  immediate  charge  of  the  business  interests 
of  the  family,  and  at  once,  after  examination,  was  admitted  in  the  class  of 
1864  at  Harvard  University.  He  was  graduated  from  that  class,  and  subse- 
quently took  his  degree  of  LL.  B.  at  the  Law  School  of  Cambridge  in  1866. 
Returning  to  Chicago  he  began  his  career  as  a  lawyer,  which  he  has  followed 
to  the  present  time.  In  1871  he  was  married  to  Florence  N.  Talcott,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Colonel  E.  B.  Talcott.  He  has  two  children  living.  Lieu- 
tenant Page  has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  has,  without  any  desire  for 
office,  taken  an  active  part  in  political  affairs,  insisting  at  all  times  upon  the 
selection  of  reputable  men  for  office.  He  was,  against  his  will,  elected  Su- 
pervisor of  the  South  Town  of  Chicago,  which  office  he  filled  with  credit  to 
the  State  and  City.  Since  then  he  has  absolutely  refused  to  accept  public 
office.  Lieutenant  Page  has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  charitable  in- 
stitutions. He  has  been  a  director  of  the  Chicago  Athenaeum  for  twenty 
years,  director  of  the  Glenwood  Industrial  Institution,  and  is  one  of  the 
Trustees  of  the  Illinois  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home  at  Normal.  He  is  now 
56  years  old,  and  it  is  hoped  that  his  busy  life  may  be  prolonged  for  many 
years  of  activity  and  usefulness. 

JOHN  H.  PAGE. 

If  any  member  of  Battery  "A"  was  a  soldier  from  infancy,  General  John 
H.  Page,  of  the  Third  United  States  Infantry,  can  rightfully  claim  that  dis- 
tinction. He  was  born  in  the  army  at  New  Castle,  Delaware,  March  26, 
1842,  his  father  being  at  that  time  a  captain  in  die  Fourth  United  States 
Infantry.  He  moved  from  post  to  post  with  his  father,  who  was  mortally 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto,  the  first  battle  in  the  Mexican  war.  In 
1851  he  went  to  Italy  and  France,  where  he  remained  at  school  until  1857. 


CAPT.  FRANCIS  MORGAN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  11A."  205 


Returning  to  the  United  States  he  attended  the  Northwestern  University  at 
Evanston,  Illinois,  where,  in  1861,  when  the  civil  war  broke  out,  leaving 
his  studies,  he  enlisted  in  Battery  "A,"  as  did  also  his  only  brother,  Wm.  R. 
Page.  He  served  with  the  battery  at  Cairo  and  Paducah,  Ky.,  where  he  was 
discharged  to  accept  a  commission  as  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  Third  Uni- 
ted States  Infantry.  He  joined  his  regiment  at  once  and  remained  with  it 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  having  participated  in  nearly  every  battle  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  from  the  battle  of  Bull  Run  to  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  brevetted  Captain  for  gallant  services  at  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  and  Major  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  at  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg. After  ,the  civil  war  he  served  for  many  years  in  the  West,  and  was 
engaged  in  numerous  campaigns  against  the  various  tribes  of  Indians.  He 
was  promoted  to  Major  in  the  Eleventh  United  States  Infantry,  then  to 
Lieutenant  Colonel  in  the  Twenty-second  Infantry,  and  to  Colonel  of  the 
Third  United  States  Infantry,  which  regiment  he  still  commands.  He  com- 
manded the  regiment  at  El  Caney  and  San  Juan,  Cuba,  and  during  the  siege 
of  Santiago  commanded  the  brigade  consisting  of  his  own  regiment  and  the 
Twentieth  Regular  Infantry.  For  his  services  in  the  Cuban  campaign  he 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General  of  Volunteers.  After  the 
Cuban  war  he  returned  to  Eort  Snelling,  Minn.,  and  a  part  of  his  regiment 
was  immediately  sent  to  quell  the  outbreak  of  the  Pillager  Indians  in  North- 
ern Minnesota.  General  Page  will  sail  about  Feb.  i,  1899,  for  the  Philippine 
Islands.  He  was  married  to  Mrs.  Eliza  T.  Shaw  in  1871,  and  has  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  will  accompany  him  to  his  new  field  of  service. 

JEREMIAH  D.  POWELL. 

The  first  victim  of  rebel  lead  in  the  battery  was  brave,  handsome  "Jerry" 
Powell.  He  was  killed  during  the  early  part  of  the  first  day's  engagement 
at  Shiloh.  His  right  arm  was  taken  off  at  the  shoulder  by  a  cannon  shot,  and 
he  survived  but  a  short  time.  His  body  was  taken  to  Savannah,  Term.,  and 
buried  by  some  Missouri  infantry.  His  brother,  Moses  W.  Powell,  came 
from  Chicago  for  the  purpose  of  getting  the  remains  and  taking  them  home 
for  interment,  but  they  could  never  be  found,  and  he  rests  among  the  un- 
known dead.  Jerry  was  a  universal  favorite  with  the  whole  battery,  and  his 
death  being  the  first  in  that  line  cast  a  gloom  of  sadness  over  the  entire 
company,  which  was  only  dispelled  by  the  bloody  and  desperate  fighting 
later  on.  He  was  born  in  Ebensburgh,  Pa.,  in  1836,  and  lived  on  a  farm 
near  that  place  during  his  childhood  and  youth.  Coming  to  the  West  he  lo- 
cated in  Chicago,  engaging  in  the  roofing  business,  which  he  was  following 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  enlisted  as  private  in  Battery  "A,"  April 
19,  1861,  and  served  three  months,  re-enlisting  July  16  following,  for  three 
years.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  sergeant  of  his  squad. 


GEORGE  McCAGG. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  207 


JOHN  MILTON  PETERS. 

A  plant  or  shrub  of  Northern  growth  will  not  always  flourish  and  thrive 
when  transplanted  in  Southern  soil,  and  the  same  can  be  said  of  the  human 
species.  But  John  M.  Peters  is  an  exception  to  this  rule,  and  is  a  good  ex- 
ample of  a  hardy  Northerner  settling  on  Southern  soil,  and  flourishing  and 
thriving  with  the  best  of  the  native-born  Southerners.  He  was  born  in 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  5,  1841,  and  lived  there  until  the  spring  of  1857, 
when  he  left  school  and  went  to  Chicago.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Poughkeepsie  and  at  McGeorg's  Academy  in  that  city.  After 
coming  to  Chicago  he  was  engaged  as  bookkeeper  by  Clough  &  King, 
wholesale  hide  dealers,  and  left  their  employ  to  enlist  as  private  in  the 
battery,  April  16,  1861,  and  re-enlisted  for  three  years  July  16,  1861.  He 
served  with  the  battery,  being  in  all  its  engagements  until  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg.  At  Young's  Point  he  was  taken  with  typhoid  fever  and  was  sent 
to  Memphis,  where  he  lay  in  Overton  Hospital  several  months.  Recovering, 
he  was  placed  on  detached  service  as  chief  clerk  in  the  Adjutant  General's 
office.  Department  of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  and  remained  there  until  mus- 
tered out  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment  with  rank  of  corporal, 
at  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  in  July,  1864.  He  returned  to  Memphis  after  visiting 
his  family  in  Chicago,  where  he  has  since  lived,  engaging  extensively  and 
successfully  in  manufacturing  and  steam-boating,  as  owner,  and  was  cashier 
of  the  German  Bank  six  years.  He  ranks  among  the  most  prominent  and 
respected  citizens  of  Memphis.  He  married  Miss  Eliza  J.  Andrews,  of  Tus- 
cumbia,  Ala.,  in  November,  1865,  by  whom  he  has  had  one  son,  Joseph  A. 
Peters,  now  living  in  Chicago. 

GEORGE  A.  PRATT. 

George  A.  Pratt  is  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain  State.  He  was  born 
in  Woodstock,  Vt,  Feb.  25,  1838.  He  lived  there  and  attended  school  until 
fourteen  years  old,  then  he  learned  the  bookbinder's  trade,  and  for  a  time 
was  clerk  in  a  hotel.  Coming  to  the  West  he  took  a  position  as  messenger 
for  the  American  Express  Co.,  on  the  C.  &  N.-W.  R.  R.,  which  place  he  left 
to  enlist  as  private  in  the  battery  at  Chicago,  Aug.  6,  1862.  He  served  with 
the  battery  till  March  10,  1863,  when  he  was  discharged  at  St.  Louis  for  disa- 
bility from  sickness  contracted  in  the  line  of  duty.  He  participated  with 
the  battery  in  the  battles  of  Chickasaw  Bayou  and  Arkansas  Post,  was  op- 
posite Vicksburg  guarding  the  canal,  and  saw  the  "Queen  of  the  West"  run 
the  blockade.  When  he  enlisted  at  Chicago  he  and  a  number  of  other  re- 
cruits, among  them  being  Wm.  Johnson,  Al.  Pendleton,  Harry  Roberts, 
Ed  Hughes  and  others,  were  formed  into  a  squad  and  sent  to  join  the  bat- 
tery at  Memphis,  going  via  St.  Louis.  Here  they  found  they  were  likely  to 


JAMES  W.  MILNER. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  209 

be  detained  for  some  time,  waiting  for  transportation.  They  were  asked  in 
the  meantime  to  assist  in  guarding  the  rebel  prisoners  being  held  there.  Not 
relishing  the  idea  of  serving  as  home  guards,  which  was  not  what  they  en- 
listed for,  they  consulted  together  and  decided  to  do  a  little  "skirmishing" 
on  their  own  account.  They  found  a  small  steamer  about  ready  to  start  down 
the  river,  and  made  a  bargain  with  the  captain,  paying  him  $i  apiece  for 
deck  passage,  which  left  only  money  enough  in  the  squad  to  buy  a  barrel  of 
bread.  Thus  equipped  they  started  on  their  way  rejoicing.  All  would  have 
gone  fairly  well  if  the  boat  had  not  run  aground  on  a  sandbar,  where  it  stuck 
for  three  days.  Their  provisions  ran  low,  but  a  friendly  sergeant  on  board 
in  charge  of  supplies  agreed  to  be  busy  in  other  quarters  while  the  boys  took 
bread  from  his  stock  to  fill  their  barrel,  and,  after  a  five  days'  trip  they 
reached  .the  battery  well  tired  out  and  hungry.  Comrade  Pratt  and  this 
squad  have  the  credit  of  introducing  to  the  battery  Geo.  F.  Root's  famous 
song,  "The  Battle-Cry  of  Freedom,"  which  had  just  been  published.  They 
sang  it  on  the  boat  going  down  the  river  to  appreciative  audiences,  and  the 
first  night  of  their  arrival  at  Memphis  the  soldiers  came  from  all  sides  to 
hear  the  new  song,  which  was  enthusiastically  received.  Comrade  Pratt  was 
at  one  time  offered  a  commission  on  board  a  gunboat,  but  preferred  to  re- 
main with  his  friends  in  the  battery,  where  he  would  have  served  his  entire 
term  if  his  health  had  permitted.  He  married  Miss  Sarah  P.  Hall  June  22, 
1864.  They  have  an  interesting  family  consisting  of  a  son,  daughter  and  one 
granddaughter.  Comrade  Pratt  is  agent  for  the  C.  &  N.-W.  R.  R.  at  Ft. 
Atkinson,  Wis.,  and  is  also  prominently  interested  in  manufacturing  interests 
in  that  city. 

PERRY  POLK  POWELL. 

One  of  the  youngest  of  the  many  young  members  of  the  battery  was 
Perry  P.  Powell.  He  was  born  in  Chicago,  Jan.  II,  1845,  on  a  farm  on  the 
corner  of  Milwaukee  and  Armitage  avenues,  which  at  that  time  was  on  the 
open  prairie,  and  is  now  a  densely  populated  portion  of  the  city.  His  boy- 
hood days  were  passed  in  attending  school  in  a  little  country  schoolhouse 
during  the  winter,  one  and  a  half  miles  from  home,  and  working  on  the  farm 
with  his  brothers  during  the  remainder  of  the  year.  He  enlisted  as  private 
in  the  battery,  Aug.  6,  1862,  when  seventeen  years  and  seven  months  old,, 
and  served  with  it  until  after  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  when,  on  account  of 
sickness  contracted  in  the  line  of  duty,  he  was  discharged  Aug.  7,  1863,  a^ 
Camp  Sherman,  Miss.  He  returned  home  and  after  regaining  his  health, 
enlisted  in  the  Chicago  Light  Guard  (Captain  Henry  J.  Milligan),  May  14, 
1864,  and  was  mustered  into  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry  as  Company  "E,"  for  100  days.  They  were  in  service 
in  Kentucky  and  Missouri  during  Price's  last  raid,  and  were  mustered  out 


EDWARD  MENDSEN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  211 

Oct.  25,  1864.  In  February,  1865,  when  it  was  apparent  that  the  war  must 
soon  be  brought  to  a  close,  and  being  determined  if  possible  to  "be  in  at  the 
death,"  he  again  enlisted  on  the  2ist  of  that  month  in  Captain  R.  G.  Rom- 
bauer's  Company  "G,"  First  Regiment,  Illinois  Light  Artillery,  to  serve  one 
year.  The  battery's  service  was  in  Tennessee  and  the  last  days  of  his  drilling 
with  it  at  the  close  of  the  war  was  on  the  same  ground  where  Battery  "A" 
was  drilling  when  he  joined  it  in  August,  1862.  He  was  mustered  out  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  July  24,  1865.  He  returned  home  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  business,  farming,  and  real  estate,  in  which  latter  busi- 
ness he  is  still  engaged.  He  married  Miss  Mary  E.  McGregor,  by  whom  he 
has  had  three  children,  one  aged  nine  years,  two  grown  to  maturity.  He 
owns  a  small  fruit  farm  at  Winfield,  Kan.,  where  he  has  resided  a  portion  of 
the  time  since  the  war;  also  a  stock  ranch  of  1,040  acres  thirty  miles  from 
Winfield.  He  has  spent  several  winters  with  his  family  at  Melbourn,  Fla., 
though  his  principal  headquarters  are  on  the  ground  of  the  old  homestead 
where  he  was  born. 

STEPHEN  N.  PEASE. 

Stephen  N.  Pease  is  a  native  of  Vermont.  He  was  born  Nov.  27,  1837, 
and  lived  in  the  State  of  his  nativity  till  1846,  when  he  came  to  Chicago, 
which  city  has  since  been  his  home.  He  was  engaged  in  teaming  in  the 
spring  of  1861.  He  enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  April  19,  and  re-en- 
listed at  Cairo  in  July  following.  He  was  appointed  stable  sergeant,  and 
served  the  full  term  of  his  enlistment,  being  with  the  battery  in  all  its  ser- 
vice during  that  time  and  was  mustered  out  at  Springfield,  111.,  in  July,  1864. 
He  returned  to  Chicago  and  has  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  since.  He 
married,  but  has  lost  his  wife.  He  has  five  children  and  seven  grandchildren, 
and  lives  quietly  and  comfortably  on  the  West  Side  of  the  city,  with  some  of 
his  children. 

HENRY  HARRISON  POND. 

One  of  the  busy,  hustling  business  men  that  help  to  make  up  the  busy 
city  of  Chicago  is  Henry  H.  Pond,  who,  since  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865, 
has  been  engaged  continuously  in  the  general  commission  business  on  the 
noted  thoroughfare  of  South  Water  street.  His  firm  is  one  of  the  leading 
ones  in  the  business,  and  success  has  crowned  his  industry  and  close  atten- 
tion to  business.  He  was  born  in  Catskill,  N.  Y.,  July  15,  1840.  From  the  age 
of  two  years  until  thirteen  he  lived  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and  attended  the 
common  schools  of  that  city.  Owing  to  the  death  of  his  father  at  that  time 
he  journeyed  north  to  Whigville,  Conn.,  where  he  worked  until  the  spring  of 
1857,  when  he  left  in  April  and  came  to  Chicago,  which  city  has  since  been 
his  home.  He  obtained  a  position  as  retail  grocery  clerk  in  the  store  of 


LEWIS  B.  MITCHELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  11A."  213 

John  H.  Bowers,  which  was  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of  State  and 
Madison  streets,  where  Schlesinger  &  Mayer's  dry  goo'ds  house  now  stands. 
He  enlisted  in  the  battery  as  private  in  Chicago,  July  16,  1861,  and  served 
the  full  three  years'  term  of  his  enlistment,  taking  an  active  and  creditable 
part  in  all  the  battery's  service,  without  an  injury,  and  was  mustered  out  at 
Springfield,  111.,  in  August,  1864.  He  married  Miss  Mary  Murphy,  of  Chi- 
cago, May  1 8,  1865.  They  have  no  children.  Comrade  Pond  has  always 
been  an  active  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  stands  high  in  those 
circles.  He  is  a  life  member  of  Cleveland  Lodge,  No.  211,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M. 

WILLIAM  B.  PHILLIPS. 

William  B.  Phillips  was  born  at  Jersey  Shore,  Lycoming  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, June  28,  1829,  where  he  grew  to  be  a  young  man,  attending  school 
three  months  in  the  year  when  a  boy,  assisting  with  the  work  about  home 
the  remainder  of  the  time.  When  a  little  over  sixteen  years  old  he  began  to 
learn  the  carpenter  trade,  at  which  he  served  his  time,  and  when  the  war  began 
was  working  in  a  sash  and  door  factory  in  Galena,  111.  He  enlisted  in  that 
city  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  in  a  three  months'  infantry  company.  He 
was  transferred  to  Battery  "A,"  and  joined  the  company  as  private,  together 
with  his  brother  Walter  S.,  on  July  16,  1861,  and  served  continuously  with 
the  battery  the  full  term  of  his  enlistment,  being  mustered  out  Aug.  16,  1864. 
He  celebrated  a  birthday  while  in  the  army  thumbing  a  gun  at  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  He  was  married  and  had  two  children  when  he  enlisted.  Seven 
children  have  been  born  to  him  since  the  war.  His  wife  is  dead  and  he  is  a 
widower  and  lives  in  quiet  retirement  at  Marion,  Iowa.  He  worked  at  his 
trade  for  many  years  after  the  war,  and  had  charge  of  a  bridge-building  gang 
on  the  C,  M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.  for  twenty  years. 

JAMES  OSCAR  PADDOCK. 

James  Oscar  Paddock  was  born  in  Wyoming,  Wyoming  County,  New 
York,  Oct.  14,  1841. 

He  was  the  son  of  Robert  Paddock  and  Josephine  Wilder  his  wife,  and 
came  of  a  direct  Puritan  and  righting  ancestry,  his  forefathers  being  promi- 
nently identified  with  every  war,  colonial  and  otherwise,  that  our  country  was 
engaged  in.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war  he  served  with  the  ninety 
days'  men,  and  re-enlisted  in  Battery  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  July  28, 
1861. 

He  left  a  lucrative  position  of  honorable  trust  in  the  office  of  Mears  & 
Bates,  lumbermen,  because,  to  use  his  own  words,  "My  country  needs  her  • 
loyal  sons."     He  was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh  while  doing 
his  duty,  on  the  6th  of  Aprilv  1862,  and  died  April  14,  at  Paducah,  Ky. 


HARRY  MORGAN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  215 


He  was  a  young  man  of  sterling  worth  and  unblemished  character,  and, 
to  quote  words  of  his  early  friend,  Wm.  M.  Hoyt:  "If  James  Paddock  had 
lived  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  Chicago.  I  never  knew 
a  young  man  of  better  business  sagacity  or  greater  ambition." 

So,  while  this  great  city,  in  which  he  would  in  all  probability  have  played 
his  part  well,  has  grown  in  greatness  and  power,  he,  who  gave  his  young  life 
to  his  country,  has  been  sleeping  the  years  of  his  manhood  away  in  beautiful 
Rose  Hill. 

CHARLES  WIGHT  POOLE. 

One  of  the  "older  boys"  of  the  battery  is  Charles  W.  Poole.  He  was 
born  in  Williamstown,  Vt.,  Dec.  26,  1831,  where  he  lived  till  1848,  when  his 
family  started  for  Illinois,  coming  through  New  York  by  the  Erie  Canal 
to  Buffalo  and  around  the  lakes  to  Chicago,  then  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
Canal  to  La  Salle,  from  which  place  they  went  by  team  to  Dover  in  Bureau 
County.  Here  he  lived  and  worked  on  a  farm  till  1853,  when,  in  September, 
he  came  to  Chicago,  which  place  has  since  been  his  home,  working  in  a 
machine  shop  at  the  time  of  his  enlistment  as  private  in  the  battery,  April 
19,  1 86 1.  He  was  appointed  sergeant  in  September,  1861,  and  quarter- 
master sergeant  the  following  December,  in  which  position  he  served  until 
mustered  out,  July  23,  1864,  by  expiration 'of  his  term  of  enlistment.  He 
returned  to  the  South  and  entered  the  Quartermaster's  office,  with  Major 
T.  H.  Capron,  of  the  old  division,  and  remained  there  until  August,  1865, 
when  he  left  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  for  home,  and  resumed  work  at  his  trade.  In 
the  fall  of  1869  he  went  into  the  internal  revenue  service  and  remained  there 
nearly  five  years.  He  was  afterwards  engaged  for  nearly  fifteen  years  as 
gauger  at  the  city  distilleries.  For  the  last  eight  years  he  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  C.,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  He  was  married  in  1869  to  Mary  E.  Breese, 
and  has  had  three  sons,  the  oldest  dying  in  1877.  He  lives  with  his  family 
in  their  home  at  Western  Springs,  111.  He  was  elected  President  of  the  Bat- 
tery Veteran  Association  at  its  annual  reunion  Sept.  10,  1898,  and  has 
served  as  Vice  President  for  one  year  in  the  same  organization. 

HARVEY  B.  RISLEY. 

The  "parson"  of  the  company  was  Harvey  B.  Risley.  He  says,  if  the  old 
family  Bible  is  correct,  he  was  born  Dec.  15,  1835,  in  a  log  house  in  the 
woods,  near  the  Desplaines  River,  a  few  miles  south  of  the  city  of  Joliet,  Illi- 
nois. While  in  his  infancy  his  father  moved  on  a  farm  west  of  Joliet.  He 
attended  the  public  schools  of  that  city.  His  first  school,  and  where  he  re- 
ceived his  first  punishment,  was  held  in  a  room  in  his  father's  farm-house. 
He  does  not  remember  what  his  misdemeanor  was,  but  his  punishment  con- 
sisted in  being  placed  under  his  mother's  bed  in  an  adjoining  room.  W'hile 


C.  C.  NELSON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  217 

so  confined  he  discovered  a  box  of  raisins,  with  which  he  proceeded  to  fill 
himself  to  pass  away  the  time.  When  the  teacher  called  him  out  and  asked  him 
if  he  had  taken  any  raisins,  he  remorsefully  says  he  did  not  imitate  George 
Washington.  In  1844  his  father  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Will  County,  on  the 
Whig  ticket.  As  farming  was  so  unprofitable,  pork  selling  at  $i  per  hundred 
and  everything  else  in  proportion,  they  left  the  farm  and  moved  into  Joliet. 
His  strong  religious  nature  was  not  developed  in  his  younger  school  days, 
as  he  received  the  usual  amount  of  punishment  from  all  his  teachers,  which 
consisted  principally  of  sitting  between  the  girls  and  standing  on  the  dunce 
block  for  not  getting  his  lessons,  which  latter  operation  occupied  a  good 
portion  of  his  time.  He  reformed  later  and  developed  into  a  steady,  thor- 
oughgoing youth  and  student.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  began  dividing 
his  time  between  going  to  school  and  clerking  in  his  father's  store.  In  the 
winter  of  1850  he.  went  to  Chicago  in  a  sleigh,  the  only  means  of  traveling  in 
the  winter  in  those  days,  and  took  a  position  in  the  Chicago  postoffice  under 
Richard  L.  Wilson,  P.  M.  The  office  was  kept  in  a  brick  residence  on  Clark 
street,  near  the  Sherman  House,  where  the  "parson"  often  went  up  in  the 
cupola  with  a  spyglass  to  see  if  the  steamer  was  in  sight  that  brought  the 
Eastern  mail.  At  that  time  the  entire  postoffice  force,  including  the  assistant 
postmaster,  consisted  of  eight  men,  all  of  whom,  excepting  Comrade  Risley, 
have  passed  over  the  dark  river.  President  Taylor  died,  and  Postmaster 
Wilson  was  soon  after  removed  for  political  reasons,  and  the  "parson"  went 
with  him.  He  then  returned  to  Joliet,  traveling  by  canal,  on  the  packet 
New  Orleans,  which  important  event  made  a  lasting  impression  on  his  mind, 
and  gave  him  an  exalted  idea  of  his  ability  to  get  through  the  world.  The 
following  winter  he  returned  to  Chicago  and  attended  a  select  school,  where 
he  was  a  schoolmate  with  Edward  Russel,  of  the  battery,  who  was  killed  at 
Shiloh.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  school  days  he  joined  the  Volunteer 
Fire  Brigade,  and  was  attached  to  "Red  Jacket"  No.  4,  famous  in  Chicago's 
early  history  for  getting  to  fires  first  and  throwing  the  highest  stream  of 
water.  He  fluctuated  between  Chicago  and  Joliet  till  1858,  in  the  meantime 
taking  a  course  at  Bell's  Commercial  College,  studying  bookkeeping  and  at- 
tending lectures  on  commercial  law,  and  working  in  a  bank  in  Joliet  with  his 
father.  In  1858  he  engaged  for  a  year  in  the  commission  business  in  Chi- 
cago, and  in  1859  went  into  the  grocery  business  in  the  same  city,  in  which  he 
continued  until  March,  1861.  On  the  I4th  of  April  following  he  signed  the 
muster  roll  of  Battery  "A,"  and  went  to  the  front  as  a  private.  He  served 
with  credit  three  years  and  three  months,  and  was  mustered  out  with  the 
company  at  Springfield,  in  July,  1864.  He  obtained  the  appellation  of  "par, 
son,"  which  clung  to  him  through  the  service,  and  will  through  life  with  the 
boys,  during  the  three  months'  service  at  Camp  Smith.  An  old  couple  of 
natives,  "Uncle  Jimmy"  and  "Auntie,"  lived  in  a  shanty  near  the  camp. 


ALFRED  W.  PENDLETON. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  ' 'A.  "  219 

"Auntie"  endeared  herself  to  the  boys  by  making  for  them  dried  apple  pies 
with  sole  leather  crusts,  while  old  "Uncle  Jimmy"  occupied  his  time  in  hunt- 
ing, fishing  and  smoking,  principally  the  latter  occupation,  as  forlorn  a  speci- 
men of  humanity  as  was  often  seen.  "Uncle  Jimmy"  up  and  died  one  warm 
day  in  June,  and  old  "Auntie"  was  disconsolate  and  perfectly  at  a  loss  to 
know  what  to  do,  so  she  naturally  came  to  her  friends  in  the  battery,  and  we 
decided  to  do  the  honors  to  the  dead  citizen.  Risley  was  chosen  as  "parson," 
singers  were  selected,  and  Will  Vernon,  the  only  sincere  and  sober  one  in 
the  whole  lot,  was  selected  to  offer  prayers,  and  all  acted  their  part  to  perfec- 
tion, especially  the  "parson"  in  his  brief  remarks  of  consolation  to  the  weep- 
ing widow,  and  his  excellent  choice  in  selecting  the  Scripture  lesson.  When 
the  hearse  came  up  from  Cairo  with  the  pine  coffin,  the  driver,  acting  under 
instructions  from  his  boss,  would  not  unload  it  until  the  bill  was  paid,  which 
amounted  to  $12.50.  Twelve  dollars  was  all  that  old  "Auntie"  could  scrape 
together  in  five  and  ten  cent  pieces,  her  savings  from  the  boys'  pie  money. 
She  was  discouraged  for  a  moment,  but  thinking  of  the  two  quarters  which 
Hod  Foote  had  recklessly  placed  upon  the  eyes  of  the  deceased,  to  prevent 
him  from  seeing  where  he  was  going,  as  he  explained  his  act  of  apparent 
extravagance,  she  went  in  to  get  them,  and  found  the  eagles  had  mysteriously 
flown.  The  boys  then  jerked  the  coffin  out  of  the  hearse  and  sent  the  driver 
back  to  the  city  with  only  $12,  which  was  about  double  what  the  box  could 
possibly  have  cost.  The  boys,  with  crepe  around  their  arms,  a  big  Bible  in 
an  old  carpet  bag,  the  army  wagon  for  a  hearse,  with  the  mules'  tails  done 
up  in  crepe,  wended  along  the  wooded  road  to  the  silent  city  of  the  dead. 
"The  Star  Spangled  Banner"  was  sung,  and  the  coffin  was  tenderly  lowered 
into  its  final  resting  place  during  the  sobbing  of  the  heart-broken  old 
"Auntie"  and  the  assumed  solemnity  of  her  sympathetic  friends.  Old 
"Auntie"  continued  to  dispense  her  dyspepsia-producing  pies  to  the  boys 
while  we  remained  at  Camp  Smith,  and  when  we  broke  up  the  camp  and  left 
she  was  utterly  disconsolate.  In  the  fall  of  1864  Comrade  Risley  married 
Miss  Mary  Easton.  Five  children  were  born  unto  them,  four  sons  and  one 
daughter.  The  daughter,  aged  19,  and  Harrie,  aged  21,  were  taken  from 
them.  Three  sons  are  now  living,  Charles  R.,  Edward  E.,  and  Harvey  B.  Jr., 
the  two  former  being  married,  Charles  having  two  children.  In  the  spring 
of  1865  he  was  employed  in  the  Board  of  Public  Works  of  Chicago,  and  from 
1867  till  1871  was  in  the  Chicago  postoffice.  In  1876  he  removed  to  Joliet, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  various  occupations  until  the  spring  of  1889,  when 
he  crossed  the  plains  westward,  and  spent  the  summer  on  a  ranch  in  Mon- 
tana. In  the  fall  he  crossed  the  Rockies  and  Cascade  Mountains  and  landed 
in  what  he  considers  the  most  picturesque  city  in  this  country,  Seattle, 
Washington,  where  he  has  resided  since.  He  spent  the  winter  of  1894  at 
Port  Washington  with  his  invalid  wife.  In  March  of  that  year  she  passed 


JAMES  PHILLIPS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  22t 

away  and  left  the  partner  she  had  loved  and  honored  from  girlhood,  alone 
with  his  motherless  children.  She  was  a  faithful  wife  and  fond  mother,  was 
an  active  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  Bartleson  Post,  No.  140, 
Joliet.  Her  memory  still  brings  thoughts  of  sacred  sadness  to  her  family 
and  friends. 

Comrade  Risley  is  in  the  drug  business  in  Seattle,  and  says  he  is  the 
only  "private"  on  the  Sound,  as  Comrade  J.  W.  Rumsey,  who  lives  in  the 
same  city,  is  the  only  Lieutenant,  all  other  resident  soldiers  having  received 
higher  promotions  since  the  war.  He  is  and  always  will  be  the  same  good- 
natured,  genial  old  "Parson"  Risley  to  all  his  comrades  of  old  Battery  "A." 

WILLIAM  O.  RICE. 

Among  the  oldest  members  of  the  battery  was  William  O.  Rice.  He 
was  born  in  Berkshire  County,  Massachusetts,  July  15,  1825,  where  the  early 
years  of  his  life  were  spent.  As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  learn  a  trade 
his  father,  who  was  a  mason,  took  him  with  him,  and  he  acquired  that  trade, 
which  has  since  been  his  occupation.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago, 
Oct.  1 6,  1 86 1,  and  served  as  postillion  and  gunner  until  the  3ist  of  March, 
1862,  when  he  was  mustered  out  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  by  reason  of  dis- 
ability incurred  in  the  line  of  duty,  being  a  severe  injury  in  the  knee.  Re- 
covering sufficiently  from  his  injury  on  Jan.  5,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Twelfth  Wisconsin  Light  Artillery,  in  which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  being  mustered  out  at  Madison,  Wis.,  June  17,  1865.  In  late  years  he 
has  been  in  feeble  health  and  during  the  winter  and  spring  of  1899  nas  been 
confined  to  his  bed.  While  so  confined  his  aged  wife,  who  had  been  his 
partner  in  his  joys  and  sorrows  so  many  years,  passed  away.  That  he  may 
be  restored  to  health  and  strength  is  the  earnest  wish  of  all  his  old  comrades. 
He  has  five  children  and  sixteen  grandchildren  to  cheer  and  comfort  him  in 
his  old  age. 

HARRISON  ROBERTS. 

The  State  of  "wooden  nutmegs''  furnished  few,  if  any,  better  native 
sons  for  the  ranks  of  the  Union  army  than  Harrison  Roberts.  He  was  born 
in  New  Haven  County,  Conn.,  in  1840,  where  he  lived  until  four  years  of 
age,  when  his  family  moved  to  New  York  State,  settling,  in  1848,  at  Seneca 
Falls,  where  his  school  education  was  acquired.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he 
went  to  work  to  learn  the  trade  of  machinist.  He  went  West  in  1858  and 
located  in  Chicago,  securing  a  position  in  the  paid  fire  department  as  stoker 
on  the  old  steamer  "Enterprise,"  No.  2,  on  which  his  father,  the  late  George 
Roberts,  was  engineer.  At  that  time  two  steamers,  the  "Long  John"  and 
the  "Enterprise,"  constituted  the  entire  paid  fire  department  of  Chicago.  D. 
J.  Swcnie,  the  present  chief,  was  then  chief  engineer.  "Harry"  enlisted  in 


AURELIUS  V.  PITTS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  223 

the  battery  as  private  in  September,  1862,  and  served  with  that  rank  until 
the  consolidation  of  "A"  and  "B,"  in  July,  1864,  when  he  was  elected  First 
Lieutenant,  vice  George  McCagg,  whose  term  expired.  Before  his  promo- 
tion he  acted  as  gunner  in  the  various  skirmishes  and  engagements  at  and 
around  Atlanta,  and  had  previously  participated  in  all  its  engagements,  and 
acquitted  himself  so  creditably  that  he  was  selected  for  promotion  without 
opposition.  After  the  evacuation  of  Atlanta  the  battery  was  mostly  doing 
camp,  garrison  and  reserve  duty  at  Nashville  and  Chattanooga.  He  was 
mustered  out  with  the  battery  in  Chicago  at  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865. 
Since  the  war  he  has  worked  at  his  trade  at  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
still  resides.  In  1866  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Frances 
Babcock,  of  that  city.  They  have  no  children. 

ROSCOE   EUGENE   REXFORD   AND    EVERETT   HEBER   REX- 
FORD. 

Roscoe  Eugene  and  Everett  Heber  Rexford  were  the  only  sons  of 
Heber  S.  Rexford.  They  were  born  in  West  Carlisle,  Ohio,  in  the  years  1839 
and  1841,  Roscoe  being  the  senior  by  two  years,  less  one  month.  Their 
family  moved  to  Blue  Island,  111.,  in  the  spring  of  1845.  They  remained 
in  the  village  until  1852,  wrhen  their  father  purchased  a  farm  about  a  mile 
distant,  where  they  were  living  when  war  was  declared.  In  April,  1861, 
they  joined  the  "Yates  Phalanx,"  the  company  being  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Everst. 

After  drilling  in  the  old  wigwam  of  Chicago  for  two  or  three  weeks  with- 
out any  prospect  of  being  accepted  by  "Uncle  Sam,"  they  yielded  to  their 
father's  entreaties  and  returned  home,  having  his  promise  that  as  soon  as 
they  were  needed  'they  might  re-enlist. 

When  the  boys  of  Company  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  had  served 
three  months,  they  re-enlisted  and  were  granted  furloughs.  Meeting  one  of 
them,  an  old  friend,  Wilbur  Wilcox,  he  informed  them  that  there  was  now 
an  opportunity  to  join  the  battery.  Knowing  several  of  its  members,  among 
them  Harry  Morgan,  who  afterwards  became  Everett's  brother-in-law,  the 
brothers  were  delighted  to  return  with  the  boys  to  Camp  Smith,  Cairo,  and 
were  sworn  into  service  in  July,  1861. 

After  the  battle  of  Donelson  Roscoe  was  taken  sick ;  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing he  was  placed  on  board  the  City  of  Memphis,  a  hospital  boat,  and  re- 
moved to  Cairo,  where  his  father  met  him.  They  journeyed  northward  and 
arrived  at  Kensington,  near  Chicago,  when  Roscoe  became  too  ill  to  travel 
further,  and  he  died  in  a  few  days,  at  the  home  of  a  cousin.  Roscoe  is  buried 
in  Mt.  Greenwood,  111.,  and  on  his  tombstone  are  the  words  of  a  song  he 
used  so  sweetly  to  sing  in  camp.  "Lorena"  was  his  favorite  ballad,  which 


JEREMIAH  D.  POWELL. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  225 


so  many  times  charmed  the  visitors  who  came  to  us  while  the  battery  was 
encamped  at  Paducah. 

While  the  battery  was  stationed  at  Paducah  Everett  was  made  bugler, 
and  from  this  time  on  he  became  an  object  of  censure  of  the  boys  who  dis- 
liked early  rising,  early  retirement  and  other  military  duties  which  inter- 
fered with  their  own  personal  comfort  and  happiness.  The  stealing  of  his 
mouthpiece  caused  the  battery  boys  to  be  drawn  up  in  line.  Major  Willard, 
thinking  to  cause  the  guilty  party  to  return  this  necessary  article,  claimed 
he  knew  the  offending  party,  and  stated  that  if  the  mouthpiece  was  not  re- 
turned before  a  given  time,  that  dire  punishment  would  be  inflicted.  But 
the  bluff  did  not  work,  for  "Eb"  Howard  knew  that  no  living  soul  had  seen 
him  deposit  it  in  the  bottom  of  the  Ohio  River. 

The  morning  performances  when  in  camp  were  always  a  great  source 
of  amusement  to  Everett,  and  it  well  repaid  him  for  his  shortened  allowance 
of  sleep.  Although  five  minutes  intervened  between  reveille  and  assembly 
call,  no  movement  in  tent  or  sound  was  noticeable,  but  when  assembly 
warned  the  inmates  that  only  three  minutes  remained  for  toilet  and  to  fall 
in  line,  the  tents  would  sway  back  and  forth  as  if  -struck  by  a  hurricane, 
while  shouts  and  calls  issued,  such  as,  "Rex,  your  watch  is  fast,"  "Rex,  what 
in  the  d —  -  are  you  sounding  roll-call  at  this  time  of  day  for?"  "Blame 
that  old  bugle,"  etc.,  and,  crawling  out  from  various  parts  of  the  tents  would 
be  seen  men,  some  in  one  boot  dragging  the  other,  some  in  one  pant  leg,  the 
other  dangling,  some  with  jacket  in  hand,  hopping,  tumbling,  scrambling, 
falling  into  line,  any  way  to  get  there  in  time  to  answer  to  their  names,  the 
bugler  always  receiving  the  grimaces  and  threatening  looks  of  the  belated 
ones. 

After  three  years  of  continuous  service  he  left  his  faithful  horse,  "Japhet," 
with  Comrade  Tom  Wilcox,  the  two  being  captured  afterwards,  the  day 
McPherson  was  killed.  With  the  other  volunteers  of  1861  he  was  mustered 
out  in  Springfield,  111.,  in  July,  1864. 

Returning  to  the  old  farm  he  readily  resumed  old  duties,  and  continued 
farming  for  several  years.  In  1872  he  married  Miss  Sarah  E.  Robinson,  a 
teacher  in  Chicago.  They  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Laura  Ballard,  who  is 
now  an  accomplished  professional  violinist.  In  1891  he  joined  his  family 
in  Europe,  where  his  daughter  was  perfecting  her  musical  studies.  On  his 
return  from  Europe  he  began  dealing  in  real  estate,  and  is  now.  manufac- 
turing the  Rex  Fuel  Saver.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation for  the  Blue  Island  Public  Schools.  In  1893  he  served  as  Mayor  of 
the  town,  now,  in  1899,  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  His  bugle 
still  sounds  assembly,  and  he  had  the  honor  of  being  made  National  Bugler 
of  the  G.  A.  R.  in  1898,  under  his  old  comrade,  Thad.  S.  Clarkson,  Com- 
mander-in-chief, and  also  of  the  Union  Veteran  Legion.  He  likewise  "toots 


GEORGE  A.   PRATT. 


H/S TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "  A . "  227 

his  horn"  whenever  the  battery  gives  the  command,  and  no  gathering  of  his 
old  comrades  is  considered  complete  without  "old  Rex,"  as  he  is  affection- 
ately called.  His  home  is  in  the  village  of  Blue  Island.  It  is  large,  roomy 
and  pleasant,  and  the  latchstring  is  always  out  for  the  boys  of  Battery  "A." 

JOHN  W.  RUMSEY. 

''The  only  Lieutenant  on  the  Sound,"  is  what  "Parson"  Risley  says  of 
John  W.  Rumsey,  who,  with  Risley,  resides  in  the  far-off  beautiful  city  of 
Seattle,  Wash.  He  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  March  6,  1838, 
where  he  lived  till  1855,  when  he  went  to  Chicago.  His  youth  was  unevent- 
ful, working  on  the  farm  and  attending  the  district  school  three  to  four 
months  in  the  winter.  On  his  arrival  in  Chicago  he  began  working  as  clerk 
for  the  commission  firm  of  Rumsey  Bros.  &  Co.,  and  was  still  engaged  with 
them  when  the  war  broke  out.  The  next  morning,  after  a  Charleston,  S.  C., 
newspaper  said,  "Although  Lincoln  is  elected  President,  he  shall  never  reach 
Washington,  D.  C.,  alive,"  P.  P.  Wood  came  into  the  Rumsey  office  and 
said,  "Jack,  you  read  the  morning  paper;  if  we  are  ordered  out  will  you  go 
with  us?"  John  replied,  "Yes."  "Then  come  to  the  armory  to-night,"  said 
Wood.  He  was  there.  This  was  the  last  of  January  or  early  in  February, 
1861,  but  his  enlistment  proper  in  the  battery  dates  April  19,  1861.  He 
served  three  years  and  three  months  with  the  battery  as  private,  sergeant, 
Junior  and  Senior  Second  and  Junior  and  Senior  First  Lieutenant,  being 
mustered  out  with  the  latter  rank.  In  December,  1861,  he  was  offered  and 
declined  a  Captaincy  in  the  Commissary  Department.  Again,  while  in 
Memphis,  in  1862,  he  was  offered  a  commission  as  Captain  of  a  battery,  but 
refused,  being  determined  to  remain  with  his  first  choice.  Late  in  1862, 
much  to  his  disgust,  he  was  detailed  as  ordnance  officer  of  the  division,  and 
returned  to  the  battery  at  the  earliest  possible  opportunity.  In  a  fight  near 
Resaca,  Ga.,  he  was  seriously  wounded  in  the  shoulder,  and  was  incapaci- 
tated for  further  active  service  in  the  battery.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Chi- 
cago in  March,  1864,  but  his  discharge  was  dated  the  same  as  the  muster 
out  of  the  company,  as  he  was  not  able  to  travel  to  Springfield  at  that  time. 
From  the  close  of  the  war  until  November,  1888,  he  was  engaged  in  the 
commission  business  on  the  Chicago  Board  of  Trade.  He  then  went  West 
and  settled  in  Seattle,  Wash.,  engaging  in  the  real  estate  business,  which  he 
is  still  following.  He  married  happily  to  Miss  Charlotte  M.  Day,  in  Stafford, 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  7,  1866,  and  eight  children,  three  boys  and  five  girls,  have  been 
born  to  them.  None  of  the  children  are  married.  They  are  blessed  with 
good  health,  but  the  family  circle  was  broken  June  4,  1898,  by  the  death 
of  the  daughter  Margaret,  aged  22  years.  Comrade  Rumsey  was  elected  the 
first  President  of  the  Battery  Veteran  Association,  which  was  organized  in 
1885. 


STEPHEN  N.  PEASE. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "4."  229 

JEREMIAH  NICHOLAS  SHERMAN 

Jeremiah  N.  Sherman  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York  in  1839.  His 
father  moved  to  the  West  when  ''Jerry"  was  a  child  and  settled  in  Cook 
County  on  a  farm  through  which  the  Des  Plaines  River  runs.  He  and  C.  B. 
Kimbell  were  schoolmates  one  year  when  boys.  His  father  and  stepmother 
both  died  in  1848.  He  was  enrolled  as  a  farmer  on  his  enlistment  as  private 
in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  July  16,  1861.  He  served  with  credit  in  the  bat- 
tery till  honorably  discharged  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment, 
having  participated  in  eleven  battles  and  four  skirmishes.  His  position  was 
No.  I  in  squad  two.  He  was  severely  injured  by  an  accident  while  on  drill 
at  Paducah,  Ky.,  and  received  three  slight  wounds  at  the  Battle  of  Shiloh. 
After  his  return  from  the  war  he  was  in  poor  health,  and  until  1868  was  al- 
most continuously  under  the  care  of  a  physician,  his  health  being  impaired 
by  his  army  service.  Partly  recovering  his  health,  he  took  up  his  trade  of 
carpenter,  but  of  late  years  he  has  been  wholly  incapacitated  for  manual 
labor,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Illinois  Soldier's  Home  at  Quincy,  August 
12,  1891,  where  he  is  still  quartered.  He  is  a  bachelor. 

JOHN  STEELE. 

Among  the  younger  members  of  the  battery  was  John  Steele.  He  was 
born  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  1844,  where  he  lived  until  1852,  when,  with  his 
family,  he  moved  to  Milwaukee.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of  that 
city  until  1858.  In  1859  he  came  to  Chicago  and  learned  the  trade  of  cigar- 
making,  at  which  he  was  employed  when  he  enlisted  in  Battery  "A."  in  Chi- 
cago, April  19,  1861.  He  re-enlisted  July  16,  1861,  and  served  with  the  bat- 
tery, taking  a  creditable  part  in  all  its  engagements  until  the  battle  of  Mis- 
sion Ridge,  where  he  was  severely  wounded  and  incapacitated  for  further 
active  service.  He  was  sentt  home  on  wounded  furlough,  but  was  not  dis- 
charged until  the  mustering  out  of  the  three  years'  men  in  July,  1864.  He 
went  to  work  at  the  cigarmaking  trade,  which  he  followed  until  1875.  He 
then  learned  the  trade  of  painter,  in  which  he  is  now  engaged.  In  1865  he 
married  Miss  Kate  F.  Dick.  Their  family  consists  of  two  daughters  and 
one  son,  all  grown  up.  He  has  never  entirely  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
his  wound. 

ADAM  STEWART. 

Sturdy,  genial  Adam  Stewart  was  born  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  coming 
to  America  when  about  seventeen  years  old.  He  was  engaged  in  clerking 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  but,  being  full  of  love  for  the  country  of  his 
adoption,  he  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  July  16,  1861,  as  private, 
serving  his  full  term  of  enlistment,  being  mustered  out  with  the  company 


HENRY  H.   POND. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "//."  23 

July  23,  1864.  He  had  a  miraculous  escape  from  death  at  the  siege  of  Jack- 
son, Miss.  His  army  blouse  was  torn  to  pieces  by  an  exploding  shell,  and 
his  memorandum  book  and  letters  in  the  pockets  blown  into  shreds,  hardly 
a  word  on  a  piece  of  the  paper  being  found.  His  eyes  and  ears  were  filled 
with  cotton  and  sand,  and  he  was  unconscious  for  several  minutes.  After 
the  war  he  followed  orange  growing  for  several  years  in  Florida,  but  a  ter- 
rible frost  a  few  years  ago  destroyed  that  industry  for  a  time,  and  he  aban- 
doned it.  He  is  now  in  the  National  Soldier's  Home,  Virginia. 

MAC.  SLOSSER. 

Members  of  the  battery  will  recognize  in  the  name  of  Mac.  Slosser  our 
old  comrade  enlisted  as  A.  V.  Slusser.  For  good  and  sufficient  reasons  he 
had  his  name  changed  as  above  after  the  war,  and  he  is  now  so  known  legally. 
He  was  born  in  Portage,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1834,  and  lived  there  and  at  Castile, 
N.  Y.,  while  a  child  and  youth.  He  came  to  Chicago  when  about  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  was  appointed  a  clerk  in  the  post-office  there,  remaining 
from  1854  to  1856.  He  was  then  is  Texas  and  New  Orleans  for  nearly  a 
year.  He  returned  to  Chicago  in  1860  and  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln  for 
President.  He  was  not  engaged  in  any  business  in  1861  and  enlisted  in  the 
battery  as  private  at  Chicago  in  July  of  that  year.  He  served  five  months 
as  postillion  and  the  remainder  of  his  term  of  enlistment  as  cannonier,  until 
mustered  out  July  16,  1864.  He  again  went  to  work  in  the  Chicago  post- 
office,  where  he  still  remains,  being  one  of  the  oldest  employes.  He  is  af- 
flicted with  deafness  caused  by  his  army  service.  He  has  never  married. 

GEORGE  M.  SCOTT. 

G.  M.  Scott  is  a  native  of  Canada,  where  he  was  born  Jan.  n,  1842.  He 
came  to  Chicago  in  1849,  before  the  day  of  railroads  in  that  city,  coming  by 
steamboat  around  the  lakes.  He  attended  the  old  Dearborn  school  on 
Madison  street,  between  State  and  Dearborn  streets.  At  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war  he  was  working  as  a  clerk.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago, 
June  1 6,  1862,  and  started  out  on  his  own  account  to  join  the  battery,  which 
was  on  the  march  across  the  country  from  Corinth  to  Memphis,  and  was 
not  easily  found.  He  plodded  along  and,  after  numerous  adventures,  over- 
took it  at  Memphis.  He  served  with  the  battery  until  the  three  years'  men 
were  mustered  out,  when  he  was  detailed  at  General  John  A.  Logan's  head- 
quarters, Fifteenth  Army  Corps.  He  accompanied  the  corps  in  the  march 
from  Atlanta  to  the  sea  and  then  to  Washington.  He  was  mustered  out 
May  25,  1865,  his  term  of  enlistment  having  expired  and  the  war  virtually 
closed.  He  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  the  bellows  manufacturing 
business  for  many  years,  lives  at  Riverside,  and  has  never  married. 


CHARLES  W.  POOLE. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A.">  235 


CHARLES  E.  SMITH. 

The  Northwestern  University  of  Evanston,  111.,  furnished  from  the  ranks 
of  its  students  a  great  many  soldiers  for  the  Federal  army,  and  five  or  six 
of  these  were  members  of  Battery  "A"  during  the  early  part  of  the  war. 

The  youngest  of  these  was  Charles  E.  Smith,  who  was  scarcely  eighteen 
years  old  when  he  enlisted.  He  was  born  at  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  June  26, 
1843,  and  lived  there  an  orphan,  with  his  guardian,  until  he  was  fourteen 
years  old,  when  he  came  to  Chicago.  Leaving  the  University  in  1860,  he 
taught  school  that  winter,  being  then  only  just  past  seventeen.  In  the  early 
spring  of  1861  he  entered  into  arrangements  with  a  friend  to  cut  the  grass  off 
700  acres  of  land  on  Blue  Island  avenue  to  make  hay  for  the  Chicago  market. 
When  the  war  spirit  seized  the  country,  realizing  that  his  partner,  Mr.  Ayres, 
being  married,  could  not  go  as  well  as  he,  he  immediately  dropped  his  plans 
and  all  prospective  profit,  and  started  and  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Battery 
"A."  After  being  in  Cairo  for  some  time  he  was,  with  the  company,  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service,  July  28,  1861,  and  was  with  the  battery 
the  entire  term  of  his  service,  excepting  only  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  Shortly 
after  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  he  was  sent  home  on  a  sick  furlough,  but 
immediately  after  the  battle  of  Shiloh  he  returned  to  the  battery  and  from 
that  day  until  the  battery  was  dismissed  from  service  he  lost  no  more  time. 
He  was  appointed  corporal  just  before  the  advance  on  Vicksburg,  and  be- 
fore General  Grant  made  his  grand  detour,  getting  in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg. 

Governor  LeRue  Harrison,  of  Arkansas,  offered  him  a  commission  as 
First  Lieutenant  in  the  First  Arkansas  Battery,  but  General  Grant  refused 
to  muster  anyone  out  until  after  the  charge  on  Vicksburg.  When  Vicksburg 
was  captured  the  commission  was  offered  him  again,  but  he  declined  it,  pre- 
ferring to  remain  with  the  battery  until  his  time  of  service  should  expire. 
When  mustered  out  in  1864  he  entered  the  Chicago  postoffice  under  the 
postmastership  of  Mr.  Scripps,  and  with  others  assisted  Mr.  Armstrong  to 
inaugurate  the  railway  mail  service  of  the  present  day.  After  one  year's 
service  there,  he  entered  the  employ  of  Keith  Bros.,  of  Chicago,  remaining 
with  them  until  1867,  when  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  and  has  so 
continued  since. 

He  was  engaged  for  ten  years  in  the  lumber  business  both  in  Chicago 
and  Bay  City,  Mich.  In  1880  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  purchased 
the  branch  house  of  Wilson  Bros.,  and  has  been  since  then  engaged  in  the 
men's  furnishing  goods  business,  and  at  the  same  store.  His  present  ad- 
dress is  49  West  Fourth  street. 

Mr.  Smith  was  married  in  March,  1868,  and  has  since  his  marriage  be- 
come the  father  of  six  children.  Two  sons  are  now  in  business  with  him. 
Only  one  of  his  children  is  married,  but  this  son  has  a  son,  so  that  Mr.  Smith 
is  a  happy  grandfather. 


HARVEY  B.  RISLEY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  235 

JAMES  H.  SHRIGLEY. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Chicago,  where  he  was  born 
Jan.  16,  1838.  He  lived  in  and  near  Chicago  during  his  childhood  and 
youth,  and  until  eleven  years  old,  when  not  "running  away,"  spent  his  time 
in  acquiring  knowledge  at  the  public  schools  of  the  city.  He  took  a  course 
at  Bell's  and  Dyhrenfurth's  commercial  colleges,  from  both  of  which  he 
graduated,  after  which  he  worked  at  bookkeeping  and  clerking  in  Chicago 
and  vicinity  until  1856,  when  he  moved  to  Michigan  and  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business.  He  left  his  business  in  Manistee  and  came  to  Chicago  in 
August,  1862,  and  enlisted  on  the  I5th  of  that  month,  as  private  in  the  bat- 
tery, with  which  he  served  until  June  24th,  1864,  when  he  was  detailed  as 
headquarters  clerk  in  the  Adjutant  General's  office,  Second  Division,  Fif- 
teenth Army  Corps,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war, 
being  mustered  out  near  Washington,  D.  C.,  May  25,  1865.  He  returned 
to  Michigan  and  resumed  the  lumber  business,  which  he  has  since  followed 
extensively  and  successfully.  He  married  Miss  H.  C.  Golden  and  has  one 
married  daughter.  He  lives  at  Traverse  City. 

SILAS  COOK  STIGER. 

New  Jersey,  though  one  of  the  smallest  States  in  the  Union,  furnished 
her  quota  of  native  sons  for  Battery  "A"  membership.  Principal  in  the 
number  is  Silas  C.  Stiger.  He  was  born  in  Hackettstown,  in  that  State, 
April  1 6,  1831,  where  he  lived,  attending  the  schools  there,  as  a  youth,  and 
acting  as  clerk  at  the  close  of  his  school  days  in  Hackettstown  and  at 
Mendham.  He  purchased  a  farm  in  Virginia,  on  which  he  remained  several 
years,  and  from  there  went  to  Chicago  and  was  working  with  Wm.  Little  & 
Co.,  wholesale  grocers,  as  shipping  clerk,  when  the  war  broke  out.  He  en- 
listed as  private  in  the  battery,  July  16,  1861,  and  served  with  it  till  July  26, 
1864.  He  was  wounded  in  the  fight  at  Dallas,  Ga.,  May  28,  1864,  being  shot 
in  the  left  hip  by  a  sharpshooter,  and  when  discharged  was  in  the  hospital  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.  Returning  to  Chicago  he  engaged  in  the  commission 
business  as  Little  &  Stiger.  Thinking  to  better  his  condition  he  closed  out 
his  business  in  Chicago,  and,  turning  to  the  "wild  and  woolly"  West,  he  es- 
tablished a  general  merchandise  business  at  Lincoln  Gulch,  Montana,  which 
he  continued  for  a  while,  then,  closing  out,  returned  to  his  native  State  and 
went  into  the  coal  business  at  Morristown.  He  retired  from  active  business 
fifteen  years  ago.  He  married  Miss  Anna  E.  Walduck,  and  they  have  had 
four  children.  Mrs.  Stiger  died  in  1896,  and  the  published  notice  of  her 
death  was  the  means  of  the  Veteran  Association  locating  Comrade  Stiger, 
whose  whereabouts  had  been  lost  trace  of  for  several  years.  Of  the  four 
children  one  daughter  only  survives,  and  with  her  father  lives  at  1207  Grand 
avenue,  Asbury  Park.  N.  J. 


HARRISON  ROBERTS. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "4."  237 

WILLIAM  L.  SOUTHWORTH. 

One  of  the  most  popular  and  well-known  of  the  three  months'  men  was 
W.  L.  Southworth.  He  served  in  the  battery  from  April  19,  1861  to  July  16, 
1 86 1,  but  his  interest  in  it  never  ceased.  He  returned  to  Chicago  at  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  enlistment  and  was  one  of  the  most  active  workers 
in  the  Battery  Association  in  looking  after  the  welfare  and  comfort  of  the 
battery  boys,  especially  the  sick  and  wounded,  who  were  sent  home  to  re- 
cover. He  was  born  in  New  York  City,  Dec.  9,  1837,  where  his  childhood 
and  youth  were  spent,  and  his  early  school  education  obtained.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war  he  \vas  employed  as  a  clerk  in  Chicago.  He  was 
gunner  of  the  gun  squad  that  assisted  in  the  capture  of  the  steamer  "Hill- 
man"  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  of  which  an  account  is  given  in  the  history 
of  the  battery's  three  months'  service.  He  was  in  the  wholesale  commission 
lumber  business  from  1866  to  1884,  in  Chicago,  and  was  the  first  Secretary 
of  the  "Chicago  Lumbermen's  Exchange,"  acting  as  such  until  the  business 
required  the  more  necessary  attention  of  a  salaried  officer. 

He  has  been  a  valuable  and  trustworthy  employe  in  the  County  Treas- 
urer's and  County  Clerk's  offices  in  Chicago  for  many  years,  and  is  at  present 
engaged  in  the  County  Clerk's  office. 

JOHN  SCHAFFER. 

The  veteran  among  all  the  veterans  of  the  battery  is  brave,  earnest  and 
loyal  old  German  John  Schaffer.  He  came  to  this  country  from  his  native 
land  in  1848,  having  previously  served  three  years  and  nine  months  in  the 
German  army  under  King  William  IV.  He  was  born  in  Alfern,  Germany, 
July  22,  1825.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  April  19,  1861,  for  three  months, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  term  re-enlisted  July  16  for  three  years.  He  served 
the  full  term  of  his  enlistment,  taking  part  in  all  the  engagements  of  the  bat- 
tery. He  was  severely  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  but  remained  with 
the  company  and  recovered  without  entering  a  hospital.  When  John  joined 
the  battery  he  understood  but  very  little  of  the  English  language,  owing  to 
the  short  time  he  had  been  in  this  country,  but  he  set  about  the  task  of 
learning  it  with  eagerness,  and  under  the  teaching  of  such  proficient  in- 
structors as  Johnny  Peters  and  Johnny  Irwin,  he  soon  acquired  a  very  fair 
knowledge  of  it,  although  John  declares  to  this  day  that  he  was  wrongfully 
and  maliciously  instructed  in  regard  to  the  meaning  and  use  of  many  words 
and  phrases  which  had  no  place  in  genteel  society.  But  his  "nit  by  dam  site" 
was  not  to  be  misunderstood  when  expressing  his  disapproval  of  any  propo- 
sition not  in  accordance  with  his  ideas  of  right  and  wrong.  After  being 
mustered  out  of  the  service  he  returned  to  Chicago  and  immediately  joined 
the  militia  battery  in  the  city,  and  for  over  thirty  years  was  a  regular  and 


EVERETT  H.  REXFORD. 


HISTOR Y  OF  BA TTER Y  "A."  239 

active  member.  He  was  always  ready  to  answer  every  call  with  the  battery 
in  turning  out  to  suppress  riots  or  disorder,  and  he  is  ready  and  willing  at 
any  time  the  American  flag  is  threatened,  or  in  danger,  to  come  to  the 
rescue  as  promptly  as  he  did  in  1861.  He  was  married  in  1848  and  has  had 
seven  children,  three  surviving,  and  nine  grandchildren.  He  is  now  a  wid- 
ower, his  wife  having  died  Nov.  2,  1897.  He  has  a  son,  grandson  and  great- 
grandson  named  after  him,  so  his  name  is  not  likely  to  soon  become  ex- 
tinct. 

WILLIAM  EICHBAUM  STOCKTON, 

Among  the  business  men  of  Chicago'who,  by  their  enterprise,  honesty 
and  integrity,  add  in  no  small  degree  to  the  general  prosperity  and  good 
business  reputation  of  the  city,  is  Comrade  W.  E.  Stockton.  He  is  the 
trusted  manager  of  the  Falcon  Iron  and  Nail  Co.,  at  16  to  20  West  Lake 
street.  He  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  Dec.  18,  1840.  He  lived  there  till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  at  that  time  was  receiving  clerk  for  Clarke  & 
Co.,  Duquesne  depot,  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  He  enlisted  in  Company 
"I,"  Twelfth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  April  25,  1861,  and  was  discharged 
Aug.  6,  1 86 1.  He  re-enlisted  in  Battery  "A,"  Aug.  31,  1861,  and  served 
with  great  credit  in  that  company.  He  was  discharged  therefrom  Feb.  15, 
1863,  on  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability.  Recovering  his  health  he  re- 
enlisted  Feb.  25,  1864,  in  Company  "A,"  Fourteenth  Pennsylvania  Cavalry, 
and  was  discharged  Jan.  16,  1865,  from  a  gunshot  wound  received  in  action. 
His  rank  was  sergeant  major  of  his  regiment.  Few  veterans  can  show  a 
more  persistent,  patriotic  record  than  can  Comrade  Stockton.  He  was 
married  to  Eliza  L.  Cook,  of  Shields,  Pa.,  and  has  two  grown  children  living 
at  their  home  in  Evanston,  Martha  C.  and  John  W.  Stockton. 

EDGAR  PRAY  TOBEY. 

Edgar  Pray  Tobey  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  January  20,  1840. 
He  came  to  Chicago  when  six  years  old,  and  remained  there  until  his  death. 
He  received  his  schooling  in  the  public  schools,  and  at  Warrenville,  111. ;  two 
years  were  spent  at  the  business  college  of  Bryant  &  Stratton.  When  a 
young  man  he  was  a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the  Hope  Hose  Vol- 
unteer Fire  Company  of  Chicago.  On  October  15,  1859,  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Chicago  Light  Artillery  Association,  Captain  James  Smith  com- 
manding, retaining  his  membership  therein  until  the  troops  left  for  the  front. 
April  19,  1861,  he  was  appointed  quartermaster  sergeant,  and  left  with  the 
battery  for  Cairo,  111.,  for  ninety  days.  The  following  July  i6th  he  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  for  three  years  as  Junior  Second  Lieu- 
tenant. July  3,  1862,  he  was  mustered  out  with  above  rank,  at  Paducah, 


LIEUT.  JOHN  W.   RUMSEY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  241 

Ky.,  on  account  of  sickness.  Returning  home  on  July  20,  1863,  he  was 
elected  Senior  First  Lieutenant  of  the  Dearborn  Light  Artillery,  a  local 
militia  organization,  under  the  command  of  Captain  James  Smith.  While 
not  able  for  active  service  in  the  field,  he  did  not  lose  his  interest  in  the  old 
battery,  and  was  an  active  worker  in  the  home  association  in  looking  after 
the  interests  of  the  company,  and  made  frequent  trips  to  the  front,  visiting 
them  and  bearing  the  good  things  contributed  for  their  comfort  by  friends 
at  home.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  militia  military  matters,  and  gave 
freely  of  his  time  and  money  in  their  support.  He  was  in  command  of  the 
battery  and  rendered  very  efficient  service  during  the  railroad  riots  in  1877, 
and,  although  it  was  not  necessary  to  fire  a  single  shot,  the  very  presence 
of  the  battery  had  a  quieting  effect  on  the  riotous  mob.  March  31,  1879,  he 
was  elected  Captain  of  Battery  "D,"  Illinois  National  Guard,  and  July  17  of 
the  same  year  he  was  elected  Major  of  the  same  command,  and  he  continued 
in  command  of  the  battery  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  28,  1895, 
from  spinal  troubles. 

After  leaving  the  United  States  service  he  was  for  many  years  with  the 
firm  of  Tobey  &  Booth  Packing  and  Provision  Co. 

He  was  married  February  15,  1864,  to  Arozina  L.  Hurlbut,  who  died  on 
Easter  Sunday,  April  25,  1886.  From  the  time  of  his  wife's  death  his  health 
began  to  fail,  gradually  growing  weaker  and  weaker  until  his  death.  The 
funeral  services  at  his  home  were  conducted  by  Bishop  Charles  Edward 
Cheney.  The  members  of  Battery  "D"  acted  as  escort,  and  the  body  was 
laid  to  rest  in  Rose  Hill  Cemetery,  by  members  of  Home  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A. 
M.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  valuable  mem- 
mers  of  the  Battery  "A"  Veteran  Association,  his  battery  armory  always 
being  open  for  their  meetings.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Society  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  Abraham  Lincoln  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  Fireman's  Benevo- 
lent Association,  Home  Lodge,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  Chevalier  Bayard  Com- 
mandery,  Oriental  Consistory,  and  the  Mystic  Shrine. 
Three  daughters,  living  in  Chicago,  survive  him. 

SAMUEL  HOBART  TALLMADGE. 

Chicago  had  numerous  native-born  sons  in  Battery  "A,"  and  among 
them  was  S.  H.  Tallmadge.  He  was  born  June  8,  1840,  and  lived  in  the 
city  of  his  birth  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war.  At  that  time  he  was 
salesman  in  the  prominent  wholesale  dry  goods  house  of  Bowen  Bros.  He 
enlisted  as  private  April  16,  1861,  and  served  three  months  with  the  battery. 
He  re-enlisted  in  July,  1862,  in  the  Chicago  Mercantile  Battery  and  served 
with  that  command  till  the  close  of  the  war,  ranking  as  private,  gun  ser- 
geant and  quartermaster  sergeant.  He  was  mustered  out  July  10,  1865. 
After  the  war  he  located  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  man- 


WILLIAM  H.   RENFRO. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  243 

ager  of  the  Milwaukee  Pulmonary  Sanitarium.  He  married  Miss  Jessie  M. 
Johnston,  of  Milwaukee,  in  1868,  and  they  have  six  children.  He  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  Grand  Army  affairs.' 

He  joined  E.  B.  Wolcott  Post,  No.  i,  G.  A.  R.,  Milwaukee,  in  November, 
1885,  and  served  as  follows:  Sergeant  major,  two  years;  Adjutant  of  Post 
No.  i,  seven  years;  Commander,  one  year;  Assistant  Adjutant  General's  De- 
partment of  Wisconsin,  two  years;  in  all,  twelve  consecutive  years.  Was 
aid  on  staff  of  Commander-in-chief  T.  S.  Clarkson  in  1897-8. 

WILLIAM  BLANDING  VERNON. 

A  noble,  true  and  earnest  Christian  soldier  was  personified  in  William 
B.  Vernon,  who  died  at  his  home  in  Chicago,  Jan.  22,  1864,  of  disease  con- 
tracted in  the  service  with  the  battery.  He  was  born  in  Milbrook,  Kendall 
County,  Illinois,  Sept.  20,  1839.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  living  in 
Chicago,  and  clerking  in  O.  Kendall's  bakery,  corner  of  Washington  and 
Dearborn  streets.  He  enlisted  in  the  battery  April  19,  1861,  and  served  with 
it  till  his  death.  He  was  always  a  quiet,  unassuming  gentleman,  ever  ready 
and  willing  to  execute  his  duty,  and  his  death  removed  one  of  the  most  es- 
timable members  from  our  ranks.  His  remains  were  buried  with  military 
honors  from  his  home,  125  South  Green  street,  Chicago,  in  beautiful  Rose 
Hill  Cemetery.  His  brother,  John  M.  Vernon,  was  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent and  popular  members  of  Battery  "B,"  and  lives  in  Chicago,  where  he  is 
a  successful  business  man,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  G.  A.  R.  matters. 

FREDERICK  OSCAR  WHITSON. 

The  city  of  Boston,  Mass.,  was  the  birthplace  of  Frederick  O.  Whitson. 
He  first  saw  the  light  of  day  there  July  24,  1841,  and  that  city  was  his  home 
until  March,  1848,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents,  who  settled  in 
Wraukegan.  He  lived  in  that  city,  attending  her  public  schools,  until  1854, 
when  he,  with  his  parents,  again  moved  to  Woodstock,  which  city  was  his 
home  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Aug.  21,  1878.  When  the  war  broke 
out  he  was  clerking  in  the  Exchange  Hotel  of  that  city.  He  enlisted  in  the 
battery  as  private,  Feb.  3,  1862,  and  served  three  years  with  it,  taking  part 
in  all  its  marches,  campaigns  and  engagements,  with  the  exception  of  the 
battle  and  siege  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  in  July,  1863,  at  which  time  he  was  con- 
fined in  the  hospital  with  a  severe  case  of  the  bloody  flux,  which  he  con- 
tracted during  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  for  which  he  was  later  on  fur- 
loughed  and  sent  home  to  recover.  He  was  mustered  out  at  the  end  of  his 
term  of  enlistment,  with  the  rank  of  corporal,  to  which  he  was  appointed 
when  the  batteries  were  consolidated,  in  July,  1864.  He  returned  to  his 
home  in  Woodstock,  and  for  a  short  time  resumed  work  in  the  same  hotel 
IIP  leff  w,hen  he  enlisted  He  then  enp-ap-ed  in  the  hardware  business  as 


JEREMIAH  N.  SHERMAN. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  245 

clerk,  and  later  formed  a  partnership  in  the  same  business,  with  his  father 
and  brother,  all  being  practical  in  that  line  of  business,  and  they  soon  be- 
came the  leading  firm  in  McHenry  County,  doing  an  extensive  and  pros- 
perous business.  In  the  winter  of  1877  Oscar,  who  belonged  to  the  Volun- 
teer Fire  Department  of  Woodstock,  while  engaged  in  helping  to  extinguish 
a  fire  in  the  large  building  of  the  well-known  seminary  for  boys  conducted 
by  the  Rev.  R.  K.  Todd,  became  thoroughly  drenched  with  water,  which 
froze  to  his  clothing.  He  took  a  severe  cold,  which  brought  on  asthma,  and 
finally  resulted  in  consumption,  which  resulted  in  his  death.  He  was  never 
married.  He  was  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  fu- 
neral was  largely  attended,  and  during  ±he  services  every  place  of  business 
in  the  city  was  closed  in  respect  to  his  memory. 

CHARLES  M.  WILLARD. 

Charles  M.  Willard  was  born  in  Livingston  County,  New  York,  in  1825, 
and,  when  old  enough,  studied  law,  and  was  a  practicing  lawyer  when  he 
moved  to  Richmond,  McHenry  County,  Illinois,  in  1853.  He  remained  in 
Richmond  about  two  years,  then  removed  to  Woodstock,  111.,  the  county 
seat  of  McHenry  County,  and  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of 
Northern  Illinois.  In  1858  he  went  to  Chicago,  practicing  law  there  till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  left  Chicago  with  the  battery  as  Senior  First 
Lieutenant,  was  elected  Captain  to  succeed  Captain  Smith,  and  resigned 
Jan.  16,  1863,  to  accept  a  commission  as  Major  of  the  First  Illinois  Artillery. 
He  was  appointed  Provost  Marshal  of  Memphis  and  acted  in  that  capacity 
till  the  movement  for  the  advance  on  Vicksburg,  when  poor  health  com- 
pelled him  to  resign.  After  his  army  service  he  returned  to  Chicago  and 
again  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  He  never  fully  recovered  his  health,  and 
died  in  that  city  in  1870,  and  was  buried  there.  He  was  married  when  he 
came  West,  and  left  a  widow  surviving  him. 

EDWARD   ERASTUS  WILLIAMS. 

Edward  E.  Williams  was  born  in  Homer,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  18,  1840.  The 
early  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  New  York  City,  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  a 
short  time  in  West  Point,  N.  Y.  He  received  his  school  education  in  the 
New  York  City  public  schools,  and  in  Hudson  Academy,  N.  Y.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  went  to  California,  returning  East,  and,  locating  in  Chicago 
just  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  engaging  in  the  news  business.  He 
enlisted  as  private  in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  July  21,  1861,  and  remained 
with  it,  in  all  its  service,  until  July  23,  1864,  when  he  was  mustered  out.  He 
was  severely  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  had  an  arm  broken  afterward.  He  took 
a  leading  part  in  the  famous  theatrical  combination  organized  in  the  battery 


JOHN  STEELE. 


HISTOR Y  OF  BA TTER Y  "A."  247 

at  Larkinsville,  in  the  winter  of  1864.  A  portrait  taken  in  costume  will  be 
found  in  the  chapter  of  this  history  relating  to  Larkinsville.  After  the  war  he 
went  to  New  York  City,  where  he  engaged  in  the  wall  paper  business,  first  as 
salesman  and  later  as  partner  in  the  firm  of  H.  Bartholomae  &  Co.,  wall 
paper  manufacturers.  His  health  has  not  been  of  the  best  of  late,  though  he 
hopes  for  speedy  improvement.  He  is  married  and  resides  at  181  West  8/tli 
street,  New  York  City.  He  is  a  member  of  Post  607,  G.  A.  R.,  New  York 
City. 

PETER  PRESTON  WOOD. 

A  brave,  gallant,  tried  and  true  comrade,  commander  and  friend  stepped 
from  the  ranks  of  Battery  "A"  survivors  when  Captain  Peter  P.  Wood  passed 
away  at  his  home  in  Chicago,  Dec.  13,  1865.  He  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  Nov.  10,  1834,  and  was  therefore  but  a  little  past  his  thirty-first  birth- 
day when  he  died.  He  came  to  Chicago  with  his  parents  when  about  eight 
years  old,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city.  While  at  school 
he  was  a  bright,  intelligent  scholar,  and  was  always  a  favorite  with  his  teach- 
ers and  schoolmates.  In  his  home  life  he  was  a  devoted  and  affectionate  son 
and  brother,  wholly  unselfish  in  every  way  and  always  cheerful  and  consid- 
erate. Throughout  his  life  he  was  a  great  reader,  and  his  choice  of  books 
was  excellent.  He  left  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  was  employed  in  the 
office  of  Higginson  &  Co.,  lumber  merchants,  and  later  was  bookkeeper 
for  Hears  &  Co.,  in  the  same  business.  In  the  spring  of  1855  he  entered  the 
employ  of  Hannah,  Lay  &  Co.,  one  of  the  largest  lumber  firms  in  the  city, 
and  remained  there  until  April  19,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Battery  "A,"  in 
Chicago,  and  was  chosen  Junior  Second  Lieutenant.  He  was  in  command 
of  the  battery  in  nearly  all  its  engagements,  the  exceptions  being  once  or 
twice  when  he  was  at  home  on  sick  furlough,  and  each  time  he  returned 
before  he  was  recovered,  risking  his  life  in  doing  so.  The  last  time  he  was 
at  home  on  sick  leave  was  just  before  the  expiration  of  the  three  years'  term 
of  the  battery,  and,  though  in  a  weak  condition,  he  went  back  to  the  field, 
that  he  might  have  the  joy  and  honor  of  returning  with  his  brave  command 
to  be  mustered  out,  which  was  done  July  23,  1864.  Those  who  witnessed 
that  return  will  ever  remember  the  triumphal  march  of  the  battery,  and  the 
glorious  reception  given  by  the  citizens  of  Chicago.  After  the  war  Captain 
Wood  was  inspector  of  lumber,  and  he  followed  this  business  until  about 
one  month  before  his  death,  from  a  disease  which  he  contracted  in  front  of 
Jackson,  Miss.,  which  caused  him  much  suffering,  especially  during  the  last 
year  of  his  life,  and  finally  resulted  fatally.  He  was  slightly  wounded  and 
had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  death  at  Jackson,  by  the  fragment  of  an  ex- 
ploding shell  striking  his  arm  and  tearing  away  a  portion  of  the  sleeve  of  his 
blouse.  His  reports  of  several  of  the  important  engagements  of  the  battery 


GEORGE  M.  SCOTT 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A . "  249 


are  published  in  full  in  this  battery's  history,  also  copious  extracts  from  his. 
private  letters,  all  of  which  speak  of  his  pride  in  the  men  of  his  command  and 
according  them  full  credit  for  the  part  they  bore.  Captain  Wood  strongly 
objected  to  any  promotion,  except  through  his  own  merit,  and  any  outside 
pressure  brought  to  bear  to  secure  promotion  was  most  distasteful  to  him. 
A  relative  of  Captain  Wood's  was  very  anxious  for  his  promotion,  and  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  it  wrote  to  General  Sherman  for  it,  without  the  Captain's 
knowledge.  The  reply  of  General  Sherman  is  given  below  in  full,  as  it  is  a 
deserved  tribute  to  a  brave  soldier  from  one  of  the  greatest  commanders  of 
the  age : 

Department  of  the  Tennessee.    On  the  "Diana." 

Feb.  29,  1864. 

'Dear  Sir:  Absence  in  the  interior,  away  from  mails  for  a  month,  is  the 
reason  of  the  non-receipt  of  yours  of  Jan.  26  till  to-day.  I  hasten  to  assure 
you  that  I  esteem  Captain  P.  P.  Wood,  of  Company  "A,"  Chicago  Light  Ar- 
tillery, as  an  officer  of  great  merit.  He  has  been  with  me  everywhere,  and 
has  always  done  his  whole  duty.  I  have  again  and  again  commended  him, 
and  he  knows  I  esteem  him  as  an  officer  of  great  merit.  I  have  done  all  in 
my  power  to  notice  and  advance  him,  but  it  is  true  that  commanders  of  bat- 
teries are  only  Captains,  and  it  is  hard  to  rise  any  higher  in  that  service.  Con- 
gress will  not  give  volunteer  officers  brevets,  and  real  advancement  to  them 
must  come  by  way  of  promotion  from  the  State  of  whose  volunteer  organiza- 
tion they  form  a  part.  I  will  go  as  far  as  you  or  any  of  Captain  Wood's  family 
or  friends  to  advance  him,  and  do  him  merited  honor,  but  such  is  the  fact, 
that  in  all  armies  of  the  world  the  commander  of  a  battery  is  only  a  Captain, 
and  brevets  are  not  conferred  on  volunteers.  So,  you  see,  I  am  powerless. 
I  would  be  pleased  if  you  would  show  this  to  Captain  Wood's  family,  and 
let  this  assure  them  that  I  have  often,  very  often,  stood  by  Wood's  guns 
when  served  with  a  precision  and  skill  which  elicited  my  marked  approval, 
especially  at  Arkansas  Post,  at  Vicksburg  and  Jackson.  He  has  always 
done  his  duty,  and  he  knows  I  appreciate  him.  Truly  yours. 

W.  T.  Sherman,  Major  General." 

Captain  Wood  was  a  communicant  of  St.  James  Episcopal  Church,  of 
which  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Robert  H.  Clarkson,  brother  of  Sergeant 
T.  S.  Clarkson,  of  our  battery,  was  pastor.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  the  members 
of  the  battery,  who  went  from  his  church  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  among 
these  being  Ed  Russell,  George  McCagg  and  Captain  Wood.  The  letter 
was  as  follows : 

St.  James  Rectory,  Chicago,  111. 

"To  the  gallant  men  who  have  gone  from  St.  James  Church,  Chicago,  to  de- 
fend the  Constitution  and  Laws: 

Dear  Beloved:  We  are  proud  of  you,  and  shall  every  day  have  you  in 
our  thoughts  and  in  our  prayers.  May  the  God  of  battles  bless,  protect  and 
keep  you.  No  men  on  earth  were  called  to  a  plainer  and  holier  duty  than 
you  have  been;  and  we  expect  to  hear  that  you  have  done  that  duty  well. 
The  Right  must  triumph  and  Treason  be  overthrown,  but  it  may  cost  us  your 
precious  lives.  Be  ready,  then,  for  death,  as  well  as  victory.  Repent  of 


JAMES  H.  SHRIGLEY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  25 1 


your  sins,  and  have  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  your  Savior,  and  the  way  is  as 
short  and  straight  to  heaven  from  the  battlefield  as  from  your  bed  at  home. 
As  fast  as  you  depart  from  us  to  the  scenes  of  battle  your  names  shall  be 
read  in  the  church,  and  constant  and  special  prayers  shall  be  offered  for 
your  health,  your  protection  and  your  triumph.  And  if  you  fall  in  battle,  I 
promise  you  that  no  efforts  or  means  will  be  spared  to  procure  your  bodies, 
which  shall  be  brought  home  and  buried,  if  practicable,  under  the  tower  of 
the  church ;  your  names  shall  be  graven  upon  its  walls,  to  remain  there  while 
the  stone  itself  remains,  and  our  children's  children  shall  be  taught  to  revere 
your  memories.  *  *  *  That  you  may  return  to  us  in  health  and  safety, 
with  no  wound  upon  your  body,  no  stain  upon  your  valor,  and  no  scar  upon 
your  Christian  character,  shall  be  the  daily  prayer  of  your  affectionate  friend 
and  pastor,  Robert  H.  Clarkson." 

Captain  Wood's  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Clarkson,  who  paid  a  loving  and  glowing  tribute  to  the  departed  soldier. 
He  said  in  part:  "One  more  hero  has  fallen!  Long  after  the  last  cannon  of 
war  has  ceased  its  firing,  and  the  last  campaign  ended,  another  martyr  has 
laid  his  life  upon  his  country's  altar.  For  none  of  us  who  have  sadly 
watched  the  gradual  fading  away  of  this  young  man's  life  can  doubt  that  he 
died  for  this  government,  for  freedom,  and  for  us,  as  truly  as  if  his  soul  had 
gone  up  from  his  body  amid  the  storm  and  crash  of  battle.  When  there 
rises  upon  yon  deep  foundation  the  noble  tower  which  we  here  have  solemnly 
pledged  as  a  memorial  to  the  valor  and  the  self-sacrifice  of  our  own  brave 
boys,  side  by  side  with  the  names  of  Russel,  Kinzie,  Larrabee  and  DeWolf, 
€t  id  omne  genus,  there  should  be  carved  in  striking  capitals  that  of  Peter 
Preston  Wood,  our  latest,  and,  we  trust,  our  last  martyr.  He  was  among  the 
very  foremost  of  those  who  on  that  ever  memorable  2ist  of  April  left  us 
amid  the  prayers  and  tears,  the  sadness  and  the  gladness  of  a  great  congre- 
gation, for  the  perils  and  endurance  of  camp  and  field.  How  he  bore  himself 
in  all  the  years  of  that  conflict,  on  scores  of  battlefields;  how  he  led  on  to 
victory  that  famous  battery,  whose  achievements  were  the  pride  of  our  city 
and  a  praise  throughout  the  land,  I  need  scarcely  here  describe.  How, 
though  wounded,  faint  and  sick,  with  an  enemy  that  would  not  be  conquered 
preying  upon  his  vitals,  he  never  in  all  those  lingering  months  of  disease 
knew  fear  or  despair,  but  still  always  hopeful,  sanguine,  enthusiastic,  and 
stout-hearted — why  should  I  tell  you  of  these  things?  Who  knew  them  as 
well?  On  his  horse  when  he  should  have  been  in  the  hands  of  nurses;  at  the 
front  when  almost  any  one  else  would  have  been  in-  the  rear,  cheering,  en- 
couraging, inspiring  and  commanding  others  when  he  himself  needed  their 
care  and  ministrations,  he  was  in  every  way,  and  every  where,  and  always  a 
model  soldier  and  officer. 

"But  his  last  battle  has  been  fought.  An  enemy  that  shall  one  day 
conquer  us  all  has  at  last  overcome  that  resolute,  patient,  indomitable,  and 
courageous  spirit.  Triumphant  in  the  hour  of  death;  calm  and  tin- 


SILAS  C.  STIGER. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  253 


dismayed,  in  the  certainties  of  approaching  dissolution;  cool,  collected, 
thoughtful,  and  unselfish,  as  if  he  had  been  in  his  office  at  his  business,  in- 
stead of  on  the  bed  of  death;  with  the  solemn  services  and  the  gracious  aid 
of  the  holy  communion  of  a  Savior's  love  still  lingering  in  his  ear,  and  filling 
his  soul  with  whispered  prayers  for  a  pardon  and  forgiveness,  never  denied  to 
those  who  ask  in  Jesus'  name,  occupying  his  latest  moments,  he  was  conquer- 
ing the  last  enemy  even  while  he  was  yielding  to  the  inevitable  lot  of  hu- 
manity. *  *  *  His  last  words  were:  'I  thank  God  for  my  sickness;  I  am 
ready  to  go;  thy  will  be  done,  O  Lord;  God  bless  you  all,'  and  gently  passed 
away,  carrying  himself  triumphantly  through  the  last  conflict.  His  memory 
will  ever  be  cherished  by  his  surviving  comrades." 
Captain  Wood  had  never  married. 

THOMAS  WILCOX. 

Thomas  Wilcox  was  one  of  the  three  Wilcox  brothers  who  served  in 
the  battery  during  the  war,  all  of  whom  have  passed  away.  He  was  born 
in  Montgomery  County,  New  York,  where  his  childhood  years  were  spent. 
The  family  moved  to  Chicago  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Blue  Island,  where 
they  lived  for  many  years.  Thomas  was  engaged  in  farming  at  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war,  and  in  August,  1862,  enlisted  in  the  battery  in  Chicago,  and 
went  to  join  his  brothers,  Willard  and  Wilber,  who  had  enlisted  the  year 
before.  He  served  in  the  battery  till  mustered  out  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  was  made  a  prisoner  before  Atlanta,  and  held  in  Andersonville  for  eight 
months.  After  the  war  he  returned  home  and  engaged  in  farming  at  Wash- 
ington Heights  until  1872,  when  he  moved  on  his  farm,  near  Remington, 
Ind.,  where  he  lived  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June  27,  1895.  His 
remains  were  buried  in  the  Remington  Cemetery.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Lois  K.  Hastings,  July  30,  1865.  They  had  two  children  and  two  grand- 
children. His  widow  lives  with  her  daughters  at  Remington. 

WILLIAM  HARRISON  YOUNG. 

The  survivor  of  over  two  years  of  active  military  service  in  the  civil  war, 
coupled  with  sixteen  months'  captivity  in  rebel  prison  pens,  is  the  creditable 
record  of  William  H.  Young.  The  story  of  his  capture  and  imprisonment  is 
told  by  himself  in  Chapter  2  of  this  history,  in  the  portion  relating  to  the 
siege  of  Jackson,  in  a  very  interesting  and  entertaining  manner.  He  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  in  July,  1840,  where  he  lived  until  1851, 
when  he  came  to  Chicago  and  has  since  made  that  city  his  home.  He  at- 
tended the  public  schools  until  1858.  Aug.  4,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Battery 
"A,"  and  joined  it  at  Memphis.  He  took  part  in  all  of  the  marches  and  en- 


WILLIAM  L.  SOUTHWORTH. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  255 


gagements  with  the  battery  up  to  the  siege  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  where,  with  a 
number  of  others  of  the  battery,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  held  for  sixteen 
months,  as  before  stated.  He  was  paroled  Nov.  16,  1864,  but  having  his 
"fighting  mad  up,"  he  rejoined  the  battery  in  April,  1865,  and  served  till  mus- 
tered out  at  the  close  of  the  war,  and  there  was  no  more  fighting  to  be  done. 
He  came  home  and,  in  1866,  did  the  next  best  thing  to  being  a  soldier,  which 
was  to  join  the  fire  department  of  Chicago,  in  which  he  served  three  years. 
In  1869  he  was  appointed  letter  carrier,  and  he  has  been  connected  with  the 
postoffice  department  ever  since,  being  at  present  employed  in  the  Registry 
Division  of  the  General  Postoffice,  Chicago.  He  is,  as  he  says,  one  of  the  few 
privates  who,  since  the  close  of  the  civil  war,  has  escaped  promotion  to  any 
military  rank  other  than  private,,  and  is  well  contented  to  be  known  and  re- 
membered simply  as  a  private  of  old  Battery  "A."  He  is  at  present  the  Vice 
President  of  the  Battery  Veteran  Association. 


WILLIAM  E.  STOCKTON. 


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REUNIONS  OF  BATTERY  "A,"  FIRST  ILLINOIS 
ARTILLERY  VETERAN  ASSOCIATION. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  survivors  of  the  battery  at  the  close  of  the  war  were  then  of  the 
age  when  most  men  were  beginning  to  find  their  life's  work,  and  take  upon 
themselves  the  responsibilities  and  cares  of  the  world's  business,  carving 
out  for  themselves  homes,  reputations  and  fortunes.  Having  been  relieved 
from  the  long-continued  strain  of  military  life  and  discipline,  they  had  little 
inclination  and  less  time  to  keep  up  old  army  associations,  in  addition  to 
their  many  other  duties.  After  a  number  of  years,  being  occasionally  called 
together  by  the  passing  away  of  some  of  our  numbers,  the  spirit  of  com- 
radeship began  to  revive. 

The  city  resident  members  of  the  battery,  who  naturally  met  each  other 
occasionally,  had  for  many  years  frequently  discussed  the  subject  of  holding 
a  reunion,  but  until  1885  nothing  definite  was  accomplished.  On  Jan.  15 
of  that  year  a  call  was  issued  by  Comrades  J.  W.  Rumsey,  C.  B.  Kimbell 
and  S.  W.  Butterfield,  for  a  preliminary  meeting,  to  make  arrangements  for 
a  reunion.  About  a  dozen  members  responded,  and  a  committee  of  arrange- 
ments was  appointed,  consisting  of  Comrades  Frank  S.  Allen,  Chairman, 
Fred  W.  Young,  W.  L.  Southworth,  S.  W.  Butterfield,  O.  Benson,  and  S. 
S.  Kimbell,  with  full  power  to  act.  Invitations  were  mailed  to  every  member 
whose  address  could  be  obtained,  and  hearty  responses  were  returned  from 
all  receiving  them.  The  use  of  Battery  "D"  Armory  was  generously  do- 
nated by  Major  Tobey,  and  the  meeting  was  a  complete  success,  and  in  every 
way  satisfactory  to  all  participants. 


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HISTOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A.  "  263 

The  first  reunion  was  held  at  Chicago,  in  Battery  "D"  Armory,  Monday, 
Feb.  16,  1885,  the  anniversary  of  the  surrender  of  Fort  Donelson,  in  which 
battle  the  battery  was  for  the  first  time  under  the  fire  of  rebel  guns. 

The  armory  building  was  thrown  open  for  the  use  of  the  members  on 
Sunday  and  Monday,  and  many  were  in  attendance.  A  photographic  group 
was  taken  Monday  afternoon,  by  the  celebrated  artist,  C.  D.  Mosher.  The 
weather  was  very  unfavorable,  extremely  cold  and  snowing  hard  a  portion  of 
the  time.  Many  members  were  deterred  from  attending  by  the  snow  block- 
ade of  the  railroads,  which  was  general  throughout  the  West. 

The  following  members  were  in  attendance  and  signed  the  register: 
Arnold,  Chas.  L.,  Chicago.  Lowe,  Wm.,  Chicago. 

Abbott,  A.  R.,  Chicago.  Mitchell,  L.  B.,  Chicago. 

Allen,  Frank  S.,  Chicago.  Morgan,  Harry,  Blue  Island,  111. 

Beach,  Geo.  B.,  Chicago.  Maurer,  Cass  F.,  Chicago. 

Butterfield,  S.  W.,  Chicago.  Phillips,  Jas.,  Chicago. 

Bursdal,  Jr.,  C.  S.,  S.  Evanston,  111.     P^itts,  A.  V.,  Marseilles,  111. 
Bailey,  W.  H.,  Englewood,  111.  Pease,  S.  N.,  Chicago. 

Benson,  Olof,  Chicago.  Poole,  C.  W.,  Chicago. 

Baggot,  Ed.,  Chicago.  Pendleton,  Alfred  W.,  Chicago. 

Colby,  Enoch,  Chicago.  Pond,  Henry  H.,  Chicago. 

Clark,  Chas.  E.,  Chicago.  Pratt,  Geo.  A.,  Ft.  Atkinson,  Wis. 

Clingman,  Jacob,  Wilmette,  111.  Powell,  Thos.,  Chicago. 

Clark,  E.  D.,  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago.    Phillips,  W.  B.,  Marion,  Iowa. 
Chase,  H.  W.,  Chicago.  Phillips,  W.  S.  Dubois  City,  Pa. 

Dixson,  Albert,  Highland  Park,  111.     Redmond,  J.  J.,  Chicago. 
Dutch,  J.  B.,  Chicago.  Rumsey,  J.  W.,  Chicago. 

Foote,  H.  S.,  Milwaukee.  Risley,  H.  B.,  Joliet,  111. 

Foster,  O.  C.,  Chicago.  Steele,  John,  Chicago. 

Gindele,  F.  V.,  Chicago.  Schaffer,  John,  Chicago. 

Gray,  A.  W.,  Chicago.  Slosser,  Mac.,  Chicago. 

Hughes,  Ed.,  Chicago.  Sherman,  J.  N.,  Chicago. 

Hawks,  Moses,  Arlington  Heights,  111.  Stockton,  W.  E.,  Chicago. 
Irwin,  Jno.  R.,  Chicago.  Swenie,  F.  T.,  Lake,  111. 

Jacobs,  L.  F.,  Chicago.  Smith,  Chas.  E.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Johnson,  W.  H.,  Alpena,  Mich.  Southworth,  W.  L.,  Chicago. 

Kimbell,  S.  S.,  Chicago.  Scott,  G.  M.,  Chicago. 

Kimbell,  C.  B.,  Chicago.  Tobey,  Edgar  P.,  Chicago. 

Kimbell,  J.  W.,  Chicago.  Williams,  Edw.  E.,  New  York  City. 

Kantzler,  Fred.  M.,  Chicago.  Williams,  S.  G.,  Chicago. 

Kelley,  Harrison,  Chicago.  Young,  Fred  W.,  Chicago. 

Long,  J.  Henry,  Chicago.  Young,  Wm.  H.,  Chicago. 

Lepperr,  W.  H.,  Ottawa,  111.  fc- 


EDGAR  P.  TOBEY. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/4. "  265 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  8:15  p.  m.  by  W.  L.  Southworth, 
in  the  absence  of  Frank  S.  Allen,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrange- 
ments. S.  S.  Kimbell  officiated  as  Secretary.  The  Secretary  gave  a  brief 
history  of  the  work  done  in  preparing  for  the  reunion,  after  which  J.  W. 
Rumsey  was  chosen  as  the  presiding  officer  of  the  evening.  He  thanked 
the  comrades  for  the  honor  conferred,  and  congratulated  them  on  the  large 
number  in  attendance.  He  said:  "When  we  realize  that  over  twenty  years 
have  passed  since  we  were  last  together,  after  passing  through  three  years 
of  hard  service  in  the  most  gigantic  war  of  modern  times,  and  look  about 
this  room  this  evening  and  see  the  large  number  of  familiar  faces  'of  long 
ago/  we  wonder  that  so  little  change  has  occurred  to  us,  and  that  so  many 
are  spared  to  meet  and  recall  the  scenes  of  those  trying  times.  We  have 
met  to  effect  a  permanent  organization  of  our  surviving  members.  When 
we  organize  let  it  be  permanent  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name.  Let  it  be  the 
treasury  of  record  of  the  battery's  history  during  the  war,  and  of  contribu- 
tions from  every  member,  of  facts  and  incidents  of  interest  to  the  members, 
relating  to  the  battery  or  the  war,  which  shall  form  a  record  worthy  of  being 
handed  down  to  our  children  and  generations  to  come."  He  then  announced 
the  meeting  as  ready  for  the  business  of  the  evening. 

On  motion  of  Comrade  C.  B.  Kimbell,  the  chairman  appointed  a  com- 
mittee of  nine  on  permanent  organization.  He  named  the  committee  as  fol- 
lows: Comrades  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Enoch  Colby,  Lew  F.  Jacobs,  Fred.  W. 
Young,  Sam.  W.  Butterfield,  F.  V.  Gindele,  W.  L.  Southworth,  J.  R.  Irwin 
and  C.  L.  Arnold. 

While  the  committee  was  preparing  its  report,  the  Secretary  read  the 
roll  call  as  it  was  printed  in  September,  1861,  at  Paducah,  in  the  "Picket 
Guard."  a  paper  published  by  the  boys  of  the  company.  The  committee 
reported  the  following  Constitution  and  By-Laws,  which  was  adopted  unani- 
mously : 

ARTICLE  I. 

This  organization  shall  be  known  as  "The  Battery  'A'  C.  L.  A.  Veteran 
Association." 

ARTICLE  II. 

The  object  of  this  Association  is  to  preserve  and  strengthen  those  kind 
and  fraternal  feelings  which  bound  together  the  members  of  old  Battery  "A" 
who  united  in  suppressing  the  late  rebellion,  and  to  perpetuate  the  history  of 
the  battery  and  the  memory  of  its  noble  dead. 


SAMUEL  H.  TALLMADGE. 


Hf STORY  OF  BATTERY  "4.*'  267 

ARTICLE  III. 

Section  i.  Regular  meetings  of  this  Association  shall  be  held  annually, 
on  the  call  of  the  President. 

Sec.  2.  Special  meetings  may  be  called  at  any  time  by  the  President,  or 
he  shall  call  such  meeting  upon  the  written  application  of  five  members. 

Sec.  3.  Nine  members  shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction  of 
business. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Any  member  of  the  late  Battery  "A,"  First  Illinois  Artillery,  shall  be 
eligible  to  membership  upon  signing  this  constitution.  Sons  of  members 
may  be  admitted  as  full  members  at  the  age  of  twenty-one. 

ARTICLE  V. 

Section  i.  The  officers  of  this  Association  shall  consist  of  a  President, 
six  Vice  Presidents,  Secretary,  Recording  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  Ser- 
geant-at-Arms,  and  they  shall  constitute  the  Executive  Committee. 

Sec.  2.  The  elective  officers  shall  be  chosen  by  vote  at  the  regular  an- 
nual meeting,  and  shall  hold  office  for  the  term  of  one  year,  or  until  their 
successors  are  duly  elected.  A  majority  of  all  votes  cast  shall  be  necessary 
for  a  choice.  If  there  is  no  election  on  the  first  ballot,  the  name  of  the  com- 
rade receiving  the  lowest  number  of  votes  shall  be  dropped,  and  so  on  in 
successive  ballots  until  an  election  is  made. 

Sec.  3.    The  President  shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the  Association. 

Sec.  4.  The  Vice  Presidents  shall  perform  such  duties  as  may  be  re- 
quired of  them  by  the  President,  and  in  his  absence  shall  take  his  place,  in 
the  order  of  their  rank. 

Sec.  5.  The  Secretary  shall  keep  in  books  properly  prepared  a  journal 
of  the  proceedings  of  the  Association. 

Sec.  6.  The  Recording  Secretary  shall  keep  a  roster,  in  which  he  shall 
enter  the  names  of  all  members,  with  their  residence  and  address,  with  a  col- 
umn for  remarks,  making  such  changes  from  time  to  time  as  shall  come  to 
his  knowledge.  He  shall  also  gather  and  preserve  all  matters  of  historical 
interest  connected  with  the  old  battery  or  any  of  its  members. 

Sec.  7.  The  Treasurer  shall  receive  and  safely  keep  all  moneys  belong- 
ing to  the  Association,  and  pay  the  same  out  only  on  the  order  of  the  Presi- 
dent, or  in  his  absence  that  of  the  Recording  Secretary.  He  shall  make  a 
report  at  each  regular  meeting  of  the  amount  received  since  his  last  report, 
the  amount  disbursed,  and  the  amount  remaining  in  the  treasury,  which 
shall  be  entered  on  the  minutes.  His  books  and  vouchers  shall  at  all  times 
be  subject  to  inspection  by  the  President  and  Executive  Committee. 

Sec.  8.  The  Executive  Committee  shall  have  the  management  of  the 
general  affairs  of  the  Association,  and  the  appropriation  of  its  funds,  but 


JOHN  TACK. 


HISTOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "  A. ''  269 

shall  have  no  power  to  make  the  Association  liable  for  any  debt  or  debts  to 
an  amount  which  shall  exceed  the  amount  of  cash  in  the  hands  of  the  Treas- 
urer, not  otherwise  appropriated,  and  shall  report  their  proceedings  at  the 
regular  meetings.  The  Sergeant-at-Arms  shall  preserve  order  at  all  meet- 
ings. Vacancies  may  be  filled  by  the  President. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

The  Association  will  be  sustained  by  the  voluntary  subscriptions  of  its 
members. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

This  Constitution  shall  only  be  amended  at  an  annual  meeting  by  a 
majority  present. 

REGULAR  MEETING.  ' 

1.  Association  called  to  order  by  the  President. 

2.  Roll  of  Officers  and  Members  called  by  the  Secretary. 

3.  Reading  of  Journal  of  last  regular  or  special  meeting. 

4.  Report  of  Treasurer  and  Executive  Committee. 

5.  Reading  Miscellaneous  Communications. 

6.  Unfinished  and  new  business. 

7.  Balloting  for  Officers. 

A  committee  on  nomination  of  officers  was  then  appointed,  consisting  of 
Comrades  O.  C.  Foster,  W.  H.  Young,  Chas.  E.  Smith,  John  Redmond,  Ed. 
Clark,  Mac.  Slosser  and  Ed.  Hughes.  They  reported  the  following  ticket: 
For  President,  J.  W.  Rumsey;  First  Vice  President,  E.  P.  Tobey;  Second, 
F.  W.  Young,  Third,  Wm.  H.  Johnson;  Fourth,  J.  Henry  Long;  Fifth,  H. 
W.  Chase;  Sixth,  Ed.  Baggot;  Sergeant-at-Arms,  Lew  F.  Jacobs;  Treas- 
urer, S.  S.  Kimbell;  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell;  Corresponding  Secretary,  W. 
L.  Southworth. 

The  ticket  as  reported  was  elected  unanimously.  After  deciding  to  hold 
the  next  reunion  July  22,  1886,  the  meeting  adjourned  to  the  upper  rooms, 
where  a  bountiful  spread  had  been  laid  on  tables  arranged  in  an  oblong  oc- 
tagonal shape  around  a  hollow  square,  the  seats  facing  inward,  enabling 
every  face  at  the  table  to  be  seen  by  the  others.  A  simultaneous  attack  was 
made  on  the  viands  along  the  whole  line,  and  after  about  an  hour's  easy 
work,  the  company  resolved  itself  into  a  harmonious  informal  gathering. 
Comrade  Rumsey  arose  and  acknowledged  his  thanks  for  the  members' 
kindness  in  electing  him  the  first  President.  He  proposed  a  toast  to  the 
memories  of  our  departed  comrades,  which  was  drank  in  silence  standing. 
The  Secretary  then  read  the  following  letters,  in  response  to  invitations  sent, 
addressed  to  the  Committee  of  Arrangements: 


FREDERICK  O.  WHITSON. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  •'//."  271 

"Your  invitation  received;  I  will  be  with  you  in  spirit,  but  not  in  the 
flesh,  as  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  get  off  duty.  (R.  R.  mail  agent.) 
Wishing  you  a  pleasant  time,  I  remain,  yours  truly, 

"E.  S.  Hills,  Atlanta,  Ga." 


"I  very  much  regret  not  being  able  to  attend  on  account  of  my  bad 
health,  not  being  able  to  work  only  about  a  fourth  of  the  time. 

"M.  A.  Chittenden,  Atchison,  Kan." 


"I  should  be  very  happy  to  attend,  but,  as  I  am  a  railroad  man,  I  am  out 
of  the  city  on  Feb.  16.  .  Silas  G.  Williams,  Chicago." 

"I  am  very  sorry  that  I  cannot  accept  your  invitation;  I  am  so  situated 
that  I  will  not  be  able  to  get  away.  Nothing  that  I  know  of  would  afford  me 
greater  pleasure  than  to  see  the  "old  boys."  I  wish  you  a  splendid  time. 
Send  paper,  if  possible.  Yours  in  F.,  C.  &  L., 

"Wm.  Furness,  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y." 


"I  regret  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  'fall  in'  at  the  call  of  the  old 
bugle  on  the  i6th.  My  heart  will  be  with  you. 

"J.  G.  Eastwood,  A.  G.  O.  War  Dept.,  Washington,  D.  C." 

"Gladly  would  I  embrace  the  opportunity  of  meeting  with  my  old  com- 
rades of  Battery  "A,"  C.  L.  A.,  but  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  do  so,  on 
the  1 6th  inst.,  the  aniversary  of  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson,  where  the  first 
real  victory  of  the  war  was  won,  and  where  Battery  "A,"  using  double 
charges  (two  canisters,  then  a  canister  and  a  shrapnel),  held  the  rebel  host  in 
check  until  our  brigade  (Lew  Wallace's)  came  up  and  drove  them  inside  their 
fortifications,  where  they  surrendered  (13,000)  the  next  morning.  I  well 
remember  how  bravely  we  were  supported  by  the  gallant  First  Nebraska 
Infantry.  I  shall  think  of  you  during  the  reunion  and  at  the  same  time  my 
mind  will  go  over  our  camp  life,  as  well  as  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson, 
Shiloh,  Corinth,  Chickasaw  Bayou,  Arkansas  Post,  Champion  Hills,  Yicks- 
burg,  Jackson,  Chattanooga,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Big  Shanty  and  Kennesaw 
Mountain,  in  which  we  participated.  I  hope  it  will  be  so  that  most  of  the 
boys  will  be  able  to  hear  *Rexford's  "Bugle  Blasts,"  and  that  you  may  have 
a  grand  reunion  and  make  them  permanent.  With  kindest  regards  to  each 
and  every  member  of  the  battery,  as  well  as  to  all  our  noble  friends  in  Chi- 
cago, who  remembered  us  in  time  of  need,  I  am,  very  truly,  your  most  obe- 
dient servant,  John  T.  Connell,  Grand  Island,  Hall  County,  Neb." 

*Rexford  fully  expected  to  be  on  hand  with  his  old  bugle  to  stir  up  the 
boys,  but  was  prevented  by  the  serious  illness  of  his  aged  father.  Every 
one  was  disappointed,  but  none  more  so  that  brave  old  "Rex"  himself. 


MAJ.  CHARLES  M.  WILLARD. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  273 


"Thanks  for  your  invitation.    I  regret  that  I  cannot  be  there.    I  should 
be  glad  to  be  called  on  for"  my  share  of  the  necessary  funds. 

"G.  E.  Adams,  Washington,  D.  C." 


"I  regret  exceedingly  that  my  duties  here  will  not  permit  me  to  enjoy 
the  first  reunion  of  old  Battery  'A.'  When  I  read  that  Rexford,  the  old 
bugler,  would  be  on  hand,  scenes  of  the  past  came  to  my  mind,  and  I  had  a 
pleasant  time  thinking  of  my  old  comrades.  I  trust  I  shall  be  able  to  attend 
some  of  your  future  meetings.  I  wish  each  and  every  one  of  you  a  pleasant 
reunion  and  a  happy  evening  together.  Don't  forget  to  count  me  in  as  a 
member  if  you  should  organize  permanently,  and  what  dues  there  may  be 
I  want  to  pay  them,  and  if  any  of  the  boys  should  visit  Florida,  don't  fail 
to  call  on  me,  and  I  will  try  and  make  it  pleasant  for  them.  Your  comrade. 

"A.  Stewart,  Sorrento,  Orange  County,  Fla." 


"I  am  very  sorry  that  I  cannot  be  at  the  meeting  Feb.  16,  as  I  leave 
for  New  York  on  the  first  and  will  not  return  in  time.  You  can  put  me  down 
as  one  of  the  'boys,'  and  I  will  be  present  at  next  meeting,  if  in  the  city. 

"S.  J.  Sherwood,  Chicago." 


"Mr.  J.  P.  Henry  has  been  dead  nearly  two  years. 

"P.  L.  Henry  (son),  Arcola,  111." 


"I  regret  not  being  able  with  safety  to  myself  to  attend  the  reunion  and 
meet  all  my  old  comrades  that  may  be  present.  Give  my  regards  to  all  of 
them.  Wishing  all  a  jolly  time,  I  am,  etc., 

"Jas.  H.  Shrigley,  Manistee,  Mich." 


"I  am  very  sorry  that  I  cannot  be  with  you,  but  my  business  is  such  that 
I  cannot  leave  it.  Although  I  cannot  be  there,  my  heart  is  with  you,  and  I 
wish  you  the  greatest  success  and  pleasure  in  this,  your  first  meeting,  and  I 
wish  further  to  say  that  I  feel  just  as  well  as  I  did  in  the  old  days  of  Battery 
'A.'  I  enclose  my  picture,  though  a  rather  poor  one,  and  wish  I  had  the 
pictures  of  you  all,  as  the  remembrance  of  you  and  the  old  days  we  passed 
together  are  among  my  dearest  recollections.  Your  sincere  friend, 

"John  Tack  (per  John  Sherman  Tack),  Syracuse,  N.  Y." 


"I  regret  my  inability  to  attend  the  reunion  of  the  company,  especially 
so  as  I  have  not  been  located  so  as  to  meet  with  the  'boys'  since  the  war, 
being,  I  think,  the  only  living  member  of  the  company  located  in  the  South. 
I  shall  think  of  you  all  on  the  i6th,  and  wish  you  a  happy  time.  Tell  John 
Schaffer  I  have  quit  hanging  my  'haversack'  on  his  caisson,  but  often  think 
of  the  time  I  did,  down  on  the  Tallahatchie. 

"John  M.  Peters,  Memphis,  Tenn." 


CAPT.  PETER  P.  WOOD. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  275 

"My  Dear  Old  Comrades:  I  was  in  hopes  of  being  able  to  attend  the 
reunion  of  the  battery,  but"  now  find  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  get  away. 
I  hope  I  may  be  able  to  take  part  in  future  meetings  and  that  I  may  be  put 
down  as  one  of  you  in  the  new  organization.  My  kindest  wishes  to  all  the 
old  comrades,  and  I  only  wish  I  could  be  there  and  talk  over  old  times  and 
see  you  all.  Williams  will  be  with  you,  he  writes  me.  I  have  sent  a  message 
to  where  I  thought  John  Day  might  be,  but  have  not  heard  from  him.  Do 
not  know  where  Daily  is,  but  will  still  make  efforts  to  find  him.  God  bless 
you  all.  F.  S.  Church,  58  East  I3th  street,  New  York  City." 


"Please  say  to  my  old  comrades  I  greatly  regret  that  a  similar  enter- 
tainment, of  which  I  am  chairman,  occurs  here  the  17th,  preventing  my  at- 
tendance at  your  reunion,  which,  under  other  circumstances,  I  would  travel 
1,000  miles  to  attend.  I  am  delighted  that  the  project  has  been  started,  and 
you  can  count  me  in  for  it  hereafter.  Let  us  meet  and  re-cement  the  old 
ties  of  comradeship  so  long  as  any  of  us  last,  and  'Here's  a  health  to  the  last 
man  that  dies.'  May  you  have  as  good  a  time  as  you  anticipate.  I  shall  be 
with  you  in  spirit  if  not  in  the  flesh.  My  warmest  regards  to  all  the  'boys.' 
Very  truly,  T.  S.  Clarkson,  Schuyler,  Neb., 

"Senior  Vice  Commander  G.  A.  R.,  Dept.  of  Neb." 


"As  much  as  I  would  like  to  be  with  you,  I  have  got  to  forego  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  the  boys  on  account  of  ill  health,  but  my  heart  is  with 
you.  God  bless  you  all.  Wm.  O.  Rice,  Osseo,  Wis." 


"I  do  not  know  of  anything  that  would  please  me  more  than  to  be  with 
you,  but  I  dare  not  attempt  the  trip  on  account  of  my  health.  I  hope  you  will 
enjoy  yourselves  and  keep  up  the  old  company  organization,  for  our  ranks 
are  growing  thinner  annually.  I  have  not  seen  a  member  of  Battery  'A' 
since  1868,  and  would  like  to  see  you  all,  and  hope  you  will  enjoy  yourselves, 
as  I  know  I  would  if  I  could  be.  with  you. 

"A.  C.  Hall  (Garibaldi),  Des  Moines,  Iowa." 


"I  regret  that  business  and  family  affairs  render  it  impossible  for  me  to 
be  with  you  on  that  occasion,  but  in  interest  and  sympathy  I  am  with  you 
most  heartily.  I  know  of  no  organization  that  can  more  consistently  meet 
to  perpetuate  by  fraternal  communion  the  memories  of  the  past.  While  we 
all  deplore  the  war,  its  causes,  and  the  fearful  loss  of  life  and  treasure  inci- 
dent thereto,  I  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  there  was  a  Battery  'A,'  and  am  more 
than  proud  of  my  membership  in  it.  Convey  to  the  members  my  regrets 
for  absence,  and  my  hope  of  being  present  at  some  future  gathering.  My 
best  wishes  for  the  health,  happiness  and  prosperity  of  all.  Use  my  'mite' 
(enclosed)  for  the  benefit  of  the  organization.  Your  friend, 

"H.  Roberts,  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y." 


THOMAS  WILCOX. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  277 


"It  is  with  most  sorrowful  regret  I  am  compelled  to  tell  you  it  is  only 
the  condition  of  my  health  that  prevents  me  from  attending  the  reunion.  It 
would  be  a  pleasure  to  meet  with  those  that  are  left  of  the  old  crowd,  espe- 
cially with  that  gang  that  stole  the  roof  from  the  Irishman's  shanty  at  Mem- 
phis. A.  P.  Haddock,  Chicago." 

"Greatly  do  I  regret  my  inability  to  be  present  at  that  time.  The  name 
Battery  'A'  fills  my  soul  with  vivid  memories  and  admiration  of  your  gallant 
and  heroic  services.  All  honor  to  the  brave  boys. 

"E.  P.  Wilcox,  Yankton,  Dakota." 


"You  cannot  imagine  how  it  grieves  me  to  inform  you  of  my  inability 
to  be  present  at  the  reunion.  I  should  enjoy  above  all  things  to  mingle 
once  again  with  my  former  companions  in  arms.  It  has  been  my  desire  for 
years  to  be  permitted  to  attend  a  reunion  of  our  old  battery,  and  now  that 
there  is  an  opportunity,  I  am  obliged  to  remain  away  on  account  of  sickness. 
I  have  never  seen  a  well  day  since  my  release  from  Andersonville.  I  hope 
your  efforts  to  get  the  boys  together  will  be  successful,  and  that  in  recount- 
ing the  incidents  connected  with  army  life,  the  names  of  our  gallant  dead, 
wrho  answered  the  last  summons,  and  have  crossed  to  the  'other  shore'  in 
advance  of  those  who  are  left  yet  a  little  while,  may  not  be  forgotten.  Your 
friend,  Wm.  H.  Cowlin,  Woodstock,  111." 


"Nothing  would  afford  me  more  pleasure  than  to  meet  with  Battery 
'A'  once  more.  Of  all  my  associations  during  the  late  'unpleasantness,' 
there  are  none  more  highly  treasured  than  with  'the'  battery,  but  my  business 
is  such  now  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  leave  home.  Hoping  you 
may  have  an  enjoyable  time  and  many  more  of  them,  I  am  very  truly, 

"James  R.  Ross,  Indianapolis,  Ind." 


"I  am  sorry  I  cannot  be  with  you  at  your  reunion  of  Wood's  Battery  on 
the  1 6th  inst.  I  have  good  reason  to  remember  that  battery  at  Shiloh  and 
Vicksburg,  and  am  glad  enough  remain  to  meet  and  celebrate  their  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  and  country.  Truly  your  friend, 

"W.  T.  Sherman,  St.  Louis." 


"I  am  so  situated  here  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  accept  your 
kind  invitation  for  the  i6th  inst.  Please  convey  to  your  comrades  my  sin- 
cere regards  and  my  best  wishes  for  their  success. 

"John  A.  Logan,  Springfield,  111." 


"In  answer  to  your  very  cordial  invitation,  I  reply  for  General  Wallace, 
he  being  at  his  post  in  Constantinople.  Were  he  at  home  I  am  sure  he  would 
greatly  enjoy  fighting  the  old  battles  over  again,  at  the  coming  reunion. 


WILLIAM  H.  YOUNG. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  '•/*/'  279 

And  your  expression  of  good  feeling  (for  which  let  me  thank  you  heartily), 
is  all  the  more  grateful,  coming  as  it  does  when  the  accusations  over  the  dis- 
puted field  of  Shiloh  are  being  brought  forward  with  fresh  vigor  and  warmth. 
It  will  give  me  sincere  pleasure  to  forward  your  letter  to  my  husband,  and 
have  you  convey  to  his  friends  and  especially  to  the  members  of  'Wood's 
Battery'  the  unfailing  interest  and  friendship  of  their  old  comrade  in  arms. 
Very  truly  yours,  Susan  E.  Wallace,  Crawfordsville,  Ind." 


"It  would  be  a  great  pleasure  to  take  again  by  the  hand  the  survivors  of 
that  glorious  old  battery,  whose  gallant  services  in  the  field  it  was  my  good 
fortune  on  several  occasions  to  witness.  I  regret  that  my  arrangements  to 
go  to  New  York  City  before  that  event  are  already  made,  and  cannot  be 
postponed  without  inconveniencing  others  that  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  do. 
Please  present  to  them  my  best  wishes  for  their  prosperity,  hoping  you  will 
organize  permanently,  that  you  may  have  the  satisfaction  of  standing  by 
one  another  in  the  every  day  battle  of  life  as  manfully  as  you  used  to  do  on 
the  field  of  danger,  I  am  your  friend  and  comrade. 

"John  McArthur,  Chicago." 


After  the  reading  of  the  letters,  a  condensed  history  of  the  battery,  by 
Comrades  Gindele,  C.  B.  Kimbell  and  Enoch  Colby  was  read  by  Comrade 
Foster,  after  which  the  banquet  closed,  and  the  boys  gathered  in  a  group  at 
the  end  of  the  hall  and  had  a  genuine  old-fashioned  Battery  'A'  love  feast, 
singing  all  the  old  songs,  telling  stories  and  jokes  on  one  another,  and  at 
midnight  they  regretfully  dispersed,  all  feeling  well  repaid  for  braving  the 
cold  and  storm  to  attend,  and  urging  one  another  to  not  fail  to  attend  the 
next  reunion,  July  28,  1886,  and  all  bring  their  wives  and  babies,  large  and 
small. 

The  second  annual  reunion  of  the  association  was  held  at  Battery  "D" 
Armory,  July  28,  1886.  Members  in  attendance  were:  John  W.  Rumsey, 
President;  E.  P.  Tobey,  F.  W.  Young,  J.  H.  Long,  H.  W.  Chase,  E.  Baggot, 
C.  B.  Kimbell,  W.  L.  Southworth,  S.  S.  Kimbell,  L.  F.  Jacobs,  F.  V.  Gin- 
dele,  M.  N.  Kimbell  Sr.,  G.  M.  Scott,  George  King,  J.  N.  Sherman,  James 
Phillips,  C.  W.  Poole,  S.  G.  W7illiams,  H.  H.  Pond,  L.  B.  Mitchell,  J.  J. 
Redmond,  F.  S.  Allen,  A.  C.  Hall,  E.  Colby  Jr.,  E.  R.  Howard,  John  Steeie, 

E.  H.  Rexford,  John  Schaffer,  Olof  Benson,  S.  N.  Pease,  James  F.  Crocker, 

F.  M.  Kantzler,  A.  W.  Pendleton,  J.  R.  Irwin,  J.  W.  Kimbell,  G.  M.  Brown, 
Ed  Hughes,  W.  E.  Stockton,  C.  E.  Clark,  A.  V.  Pitts,  Harry  Morgan,  J.  B. 
Dutch,  Mac.  Slosser,  Jerry  Maloney,  G.  A.  Pratt,  O.  C.  Foster.    The  Sec- 


FREDERICK  W.  YOUNG. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "4."  281 

retary  submitted  a  printed  report  in  pamphlet  form,  as  the  minutes  of  pro- 
ceedings of  first  reunion,  which  was  received  and  approved  as  such.  The 
following  was  also  submitted,  in  addition  to  the  printed  report,  which  was 
also  approved :  "Since  our  first  reunion  two  of  our  number  have  passed  away : 
Augustine  P.  Haddock,  in  Chicago,  May  16,  1885,  and  Willard  I.  Wilcox,  in 
San  Francisco,  in  the  fall  of  1885.  Maddock  left  no  family  that  is  known  of. 
Wilcox  left  a  wife  and  three  children  in  comfortable  circumstances." 

A  copy  of  the  Reunion  and  Battery  History  was  sent  the  Chicago  His- 
torical Society,  which  was  acknowledged  as  follows:  "The  Society  has  re- 
ceived and  entered  on  catalogue  a  copy  of  the  Battery  History,  for  which  I 
have  the  honor  to  return  the  Society's  grateful  acknowledgment."  (Signed.) 
A.  D.  Hager,  Secretary,  Feb.  19,  1886. 

One  hundred  and  two  notices  of  the  second  reunion  were  mailed  to 
members,  to  which  fifty-four  responses  were  received.  The  Treasurer's 
report  was  read  and  approved.  On  motion  of  Comrade  Colby,  M.  N.  Kim- 
bell  Sr.,  and  John  L.  Stockton  were  elected  honorary  members.  The  fol- 
lowing sons  of  members  who  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  were 
added  to  the  list  of  membership.  John  Schaffer,  Ethan  A.  Gray,  George  T. 
Phillips,  James  E.  Baggot  and  Richard  L.  Powell. 

There  being  no  further  new  or  unfinished  business,  the  election  of  offi- 
cers was  proceeded  with.  The  Chair  appointed  as  Nominating  Committee, 
Comrades  J.  H.  Long,  S.  S.  Kimbell,  Ed  Hughes,  James  Phillips  and  A.  C. 
Hall.  The  committee  reported  the  following  ticket,  which,  on  motion,  was 
elected  unanimously,  the  Secretary  being  instructed  to  cast  one  ballot  for 
same:  E.  P.  Tobey,  President;  F.  S.  Allen,  First  Vice  President;  L.  F. 
Jacobs,  Second  Vice  President;  W.  E.  Stockton,  Third  Vice  President;  O. 
C.  Foster,  Fourth  Vice  President;  G.  M.  Scott,  Fifth  Vice  President;  Enoch 
Colby,  Sixth  Vice  President;  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary;  W.  L.  Southworth, 
Recording  Secretary;  H.  W.  Chase,  Treasurer;  J.  R.  Irwin,  Sergeant-at- 
Arms;  E.  H.  Rexford,  Musical  Director.  The  business  meeting  then  ad- 
journed to  meet  in  September,  1887,  or  on  call  of  the  Executive  Committee. 
The  comrades  then  proceeded  to  the  upper  room,  where  a  sumptuous 
banquet  was  spread,  the  bill  of  fare  containing,  among  other  things:  "Spring 
(1861)  Chicken,"  which  reminded  the  "boys"  of  the  days  when  they  would 
have  been  glad  to  get  a  piece  of  even  a  more  antique  fowl  than  that.  A  large 
number  of  letters  of  regret  were  read  from  absent  comrades,  and  brief  ones 


CAPT.  E.  P.  WILCOX. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "//."  283 

from  Generals  Sherman,  Logan  and  Lew  Wallace  were  read.  Short  speeches, 
music  and  singing  of  old  war  songs  concluded  the  second  reunion  and  even- 
ing's entertainment. 

A  special  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  at  "D"  Battery  Armory, 
April  10,  1887,  twenty-three  members  being  present.  The  following  resolu- 
tions were  unanimously  passed:  "Comrade  Samuel  W.  Butterfield  died  April 
7,  1887,  at  his  residence,  296  Elm  street,  Chicago.  He  has  finished  his  labors 
on  earth,  and  has  been  suddenly  called  to  enter  the  eternal  and  better  life.  It 
is  fitting  that  we,  his  intimate  associates  and  comrades  in  arms  should  bear 
testimony  to  the  manner  in  which  he  discharged  his  duties  here.  Therefore, 
we  declare  that  by  his  death  we  have  sustained  a  severe  loss.  During  his 
entire  career  as  a  citizen  he  has  always  shown  himself  to  be  an  upright, 
honorable  man,  possessed  of  many  virtues.  His  modest  but  firm  deport- 
ment marked  him  as  a  gentleman.  Whatever  he  undertook  he  did  well,  and 
every  duty  he  assumed  was  faithfully  discharged.  As  a  soldier  he  was  true 
and  loyal,  and  he  was  excelled  by  none  in  his  courage  and  fidelity  to  the  cause 
of  his  country  in  her  hour  of  peril.  Asa  husband  he  was  kind,  affectionate 
and  true,  and  altogether  he  left  a  record  well  worthy  of  imitation.  We  ten- 
der to  the  wife  of  our  departed  comrade  our  deepest  sympathy  in  this  her 
great  bereavement  and  affliction."  The  minutes  of  the  regular  and  special 
meetings  having  been  read  and  approved,  the  Treasurer,  Comrade  Chase, 
presented  his  report: 

Cash  on  hand  from  second  reunion  (including     receipts     for 

badges) $7M3 

Paid  out  during  the  year — Mourning  Badges 25.00 

Carriages  for  Comrade  Butterfield's  funeral 16.20 

Repairing  monument I5-OO — 56.20 


Leaving  balance  on  hand  Oct.  4,  1887 $15-23 

The  Secretary,  Comrade  C.  B.  Kimbell,  read  the  report  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee  as  follows :  The  committee  would  report  that  during  the  year 
three  of  our  comrades  have  passed  away:  Samuel  W.  Butterfield,  Francis 
Morgan  and  Jeremiah  Maloney.  A  large  number  of  comrades  were  in  at- 
tendance at  Comrade  Butterfield's  funeral.  Very  short  notice  was  had  of 
Comrade  Morgan's  death,  and  but  few  could  attend.  Comrade  Maloney '$ 
death  was  not  known  by  any  of  the  committee  until  some  time  after  his  fu- 
neral. Our  monument  and  the  graves  at  Rose  Hill  were  appropriately  dec- 


284  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

orated  on  Decoration  Day,  twelve  of  our  comrades  being  on  hand.  We  had 
the  monument  treated  to  a  coating  of  preservative,  and  it  is  now  in  good 
condition  to  stand  for  many  years  without  any  additional  expense.  One 
hundred  and  four  notices  of  this  reunion  were  mailed  to  comrades,  many  of 
whom  responded. 

The  following  sons  of  veterans,  having  attained  their  majority,  were 
admitted  as  members  of  the  association: 
Henry  King,  son  of  George  King. 
Sherman  T.  Kimbell,  son  of  C.  B.  Kimbell. 
Louis  A.  Gray,  son  of  A.  W.  Gray. 

The  names  of  George  Anderson,  father  of  Alex.  Anderson,  and  John 
Alston,  father  of  James  Alston,  were  ordered  placed  on  the  honorary  mem- 
bership list. 

A  committee  on  obituary  notices  was  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  on 
the  deaths  of  Comrades  Morgan  and  Maloney,  consisting  of  Comrades 
Enoch  Colby,  A.  W.  Pendleton  and  F.  V.  Gindele. 

The  election  of  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  being  next  in  order,  the 
Chair  appointed  as  Nominating  Committee,  Comrades  J.  H.  Long,  George 
M.  Scott,  A.  V.  Pitts,  Fred  W.  Young  and  S.  S.  Kimbell. 

The  committee  submitted  the  following  names  for  the  offices  for  1887-8: 
President,  Frank  S.  Allen;  First  Vice  President,  Wm.  H.  Young;  Second 
Vice  President,  Jacob  Clingman;  Third  Vice  President,  Ferd.  V.  Gindele; 
Fourth  Vice  President,  Wm.  Lowe;  Fifth  Vice  President,  C.  W.  Poole; 
Sixth  Vice  President,  James  Phillips;  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell;  Recording 
Secretary,  W.  L.  Southworth;  Treasurer,  H.  W.  Chase;  Sergeant-at-Arms, 
Ed.  Hughes;  Musical  Director,  E.  H.  Rexford.  The  Secretary  was  in- 
structed to  cast  one  ballot  for  the  association  for  the  officers  named,  and 
the  Chair  declared  them  duly  elected.  This  closed  the  business  meeting. 
The  members  then  adjourned  to  the  parlors,  where  the  wives,  daughters  and 
sisters  of  many  of  the  comrades  were  in  waiting.  After  a  short  time  spent 
in  introductions  and  conversation,  the  entire  party  proceeded  to  the  upper 
hall,  where  tables  had  been  spread  for  the  accommodation  of  about  eighty, 
which  was  as  many  as  the  Committee  of  Arrangements  felt  warranted  in 
providing  for,  judging  from  the  number  of  responses  received  to  invitations 
sent  out.  Over  one  hundred  were  in  attendance,  which  somewhat  disturbed 
the  caterers  and  interfered  with  the  prompt  and  satisfactory  service  which 


HISTOR Y  OF  BA TTERY  ilA. " 


285 


they  expected  to  render;  but  all  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost  to  "bridge 
over  the  difficulty,"  and  all  enjoyed  the  banquet. 

The  third  annual  reunion  of  the  Veteran  Association  was  held  at  Chi- 
cago, in  Battery  "D"  Armory,  Tuesday,  Oct.  4,  1887.  An  informal  recep- 
tion was  held  during  the  day,  the  following  comrades  acting  as  the  Recep- 
tion Committee:  W.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Kimbell,  George  M.  Scott,  John  R. 
Irwin,  Ed.  Hughes  and  John  Schaffer. 

The  managers  of  the  Shiloh  Panorama  kindly  invited  the  comrades  to 
visit  the  panorama  in  the  afternoon,  many  of  whom  availed  themselves  of 
the  opportunity  to  inspect  this  wonderful  and  life-like  painting. 

The  following  comrades  registered  during  the  day: 


Wm.  Furness. 
Thos.  Wilcox. 
J.  W.  Kimbell. 
H.  B.  Risley. 
S.  S.  Kimbell. 
Geo.  M.  Scott. 
Ed.  Hughes. 
W.  H.  Young. 
J.  N.  Sherman. 
Jas.  Phillips. 
M.  N.  Kimbell,  Sr. 
\V.  E.  Stockton. 
Will  Lowe. 

E.  S.  Hills. 

F.  W.  Young. 
C.  B.  Kimbell. 
Enoch  Colby. 
J.  H.  Long." 


H.  W.  Chase. 
\V.  H.  Lepperr. 
G.  M.  Brown. 
L.  F.  Jacobs. 

E.  P.  Tobey. 

F.  V.  Gindele. 
John  R.  Irwin. 
George  King. 
Ed  Mendsen. 
C.  E.  Clark. 

W.  L.  Southworth. 
A.  V.  Pitts. 
Henry  H.  Handy. 
J.  Clingman. 
George  E.  Adams. 
Mac.  Slosser. 
John  Steele. 


A.  W.  Pendleton. 
E.  Baggot. 
J.  L.  Haslett. 
Stephen  N.  Pease. 
John  Schaffer. 
J.  J.  Redmond. 
A.  M.  Kinzie. 
Chas.  J.  Sauter. 
C.  W.  Poole. 
E.  D.  Clark. 

E.  H.  Rexford. 
James  Crocker. 
Allen  W.  Gray. 
Thomas  Powell. 
Cass  F.  Maurer. 

F.  M.  Kantzler. 
Harry  Morgan. 


P.  P.  Powell. 

Comrade  Rumsey  was  unavoidably  absent  in  Dakota  and  Comrade 
Allen  was  confined  to  his  house  by  sickness,  with  which  he  had  been  af- 
flicted several  months. 

A  relic  of  the  war  in  the  shape  of  a  genuine  hardtack,  one  of  the  last 
meals  issued  to  the  battery  by  Commissary  Chase  in  1864,  was  on  exhibition, 
having  been  contributed  by  Comrade  John  Tack,  of  Syracuse. 

A  copy  of  the  play  bill  of  the  Battery  Theatrical  Co.  at  Larkinsville,  in 
1864,  xvas  contributed  by  a  friend,  and  as  an  interesting  and  valuable  relic 
of  those  days,  attracted  considerable  attention  from  the  "boys."  It  is  given 
in  full  in  Chapter  II.  of  this  history,  in  the  portion  relating  to  Larkinsville. 


286  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A." 

After  the  banquet  letters  of  regret  were  read  from  the  following  absent 
comrades:  J.  H.  Shrigley,  Harry  Roberts,  C.  L.  Church,  A.  R.  Abbott,  E. 
P.  Fish,  Charles  E.  Smith,  John  Tack,  W.  H.  Bailey,  W.  O.  Rice,  W.  H. 
Cowlin,  A.  C.  Hall  (Garabaldi),  Adam  Stewart,  Meric  Gould,  John  T.  Con- 
nell,  Edward  Johnson,  John  H.  Page,  E.  E.  Williams,  T.  A.  McKnight, 
Charles  A.  Lamb,  and  George  A.  Pratt.  Letters  were  also  read  from  Gen- 
erals Sherman  and  Lew  Wallace,  Commissioner  of  Pensions  John  C.  Black 
and  Mrs.  S.  W.  Butterfield.  A  fine  selection  of  instrumental  war  music  was 
rendered  by  Comrade  Rexford,  cornet;  his  daughter  Laura,  violin,  and  Miss 
Sarah  M.  Kimbell,  piano.  Prof.  McCosh's  orchestra  discoursed  appropriate 
music  during  the  evening,  and  aided  materially  in  drowning  any  discords 
the  "boys"  may  have  produced  in  bringing  out  the  old  war  songs  which  had 
not  been  rehearsed  for  a  concert  since  the  war.  Many  comrades  who  were 
noted  as  singers  of  special  pieces  during  the  war,  were  called  upon  for  songs, 
but  invariably  declined,  though  Comrades  Handy  and  Southworth  prom- 
ised to  rehearse  "Larboard  Watch"  during  the  coming  year,  and  Jake  Cling- 
man  was  warned  to  be  prepared  with  "Fairy  Bell"  for  the  next  reunion.  M. 
N.  Kimbell,  Sr.,  was  called  upon,  and  made  a  few  feeling  remarks,  and  con- 
gratulated the  "boys"  on  the  records  they  had  made  since,  as  well  as  during, 
the  war;  and  he  heartily  approved  of  their  plan  of  .adding  the  presence  of 
their  lady  relatives  to  their  reunions,  there  being  between  thirty  and  forty 
present. 

The  Executive  Committee  was  authorized  to  fix  the  date  for  the  reunion 
for  next  year,  as  in  their  judgment  would  be  best.  It  was  midnight  when  the 
meeting  finally  dispersed,  and  the  good-bys  for  another  year  were  spoken. 

The  fourth  annual  reunion  of  the  association  was  held  at  Battery  "D" 
Armory,  Oct.  4,  1888,  President  Comrade  Frank  S.  Allen  presiding.  After 
the  roll  call  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved,  Treas- 
urer Comrade  H.  W.  Chase  read  his  report  showing: 

Receipts  from  members  for  preceding  year $177.23 

Payments  as  per  vouchers 146.75 


Leaving  balance  on  hand $30.48 

Which  report  was  approved  and  placed  on  file.  The  Executive  Com- 
mittee, through  Secretary  C.  B.  Kimbell,  submitted  their  annual  report,  as 
follows: 

The  committee  has  had  occasion  to  hold  but  one  meeting  during  the 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  287 

past  year,  which  was  on  July  27,  and  was  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  for 
this,  our  fourth  annual  reunion.  The  following  committees  were  appointed : 
Reception,  George  M.  Scott,  Wm.  H.  Young,  J.  W.  Kimbell,  James 
Phillips,  Ed.  Hughes;  Entertainment,  S.  S.  Kimbell,  Jacob  Clingman,  O.  C. 
Foster;  Banquet,  H.  W.  Chase,  W.  L.  Southworth;  Music,  E.  H.  Rexford. 

One  hundred  and  twenty-three  notices  were  mailed  to  members  and 
responses  were  received  from  fifty-seven  only,  twenty  sending  regrets,  and 
thirty-seven  acceptances.  Since  our  last  reunion  one  member  has  passed 
away.  George  E.  Cooper  died  December  17,  1887,  in  Chicago.  One  hon- 
orary member,  George  Anderson,  father  of  Alex.  Anderson,  died  in  October 
last,  one  month  after  his  admission  into  our  association.  The  additional 
addresses  of  six  of  our  old  comrades  were  received  by  the  Secretary  during 
the  year,  to  whom  copies  of  the  history  and  reunion  pamphlets  were  mailed. 
Copies  of  same  were  also  sent  to  Judge  Advocate  of  Department  of  Iowa, 
G.  A.  R.,  George  M.  Van  Louven,  who  wished  to  obtain  a  list  of  our  mem- 
bers for  the  purpose  of  assisting  a  former  member  of  our  battery,  name  not 
given,  to  get  a  pension.  The  Secretary  was  able  to  furnish  an  affidavit  for 
Comrade  Meric  Gould,  of  Monroe  (now  of  Brest),  Michigan,  which  as- 
sisted him  in  securing  a  pension  of  $6  per  month,  which  he  acknowledged 
in  a  very  appreciative  letter.  Comrade  Fred  S.  Church  was  expected  to  fur- 
nish an  illustrated  "bill  of  fare"  for  this  occasion,  but,  being  absent  from 
home,  did  not  receive  our  letter  in  time.  He  promises  to  show  the  boys  at 
our  next  reunion  that  he  has  not  forgotten  them.  Our  roster  now  contains 
123  names.  Our  ranks  are  gradually  being  thinned  and  but  a  few  years  will 
elapse  before  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  the  name  of  every  survivor  in 
order  to  make  a  quorum.  We  would  urge  the  members  to  show  their  re- 
membrance of  our  departed  comrades  by  decorating  the  monument  at  Rose 
Hill  each  Decoration  Day  as  far  as  possible.  The  report  as  read  was  re- 
ceived and  ordered  on  file.  Letters  of  regret  were  read  from  Comrades  C. 
E.  Smith,  C.  L.  Church,  W.  O.  Rice,  John  Tack,  E.  P.  Fish,  W.  H.  Bailey, 
Hoxie  L.  Hoffman,  Ed.  E.  Williams,  Adam  Stewart,  J.  H.  Shrigley,  H.  H. 
Handy,  J.  B.  Day,  Harry  Roberts,  Moses  Hawks  and  W.  H.  Johnson.  Com- 
rade F.  V.  Gindele  read  the  following  resolutions  on  the  death  of  Comrades 
Frances  Morgan  and  Jeremiah  Maloney: 

"Whereas,  Death  has  removed  from  our  midst  Comrade  Frances  Mor- 
gan, who  was  in  command  of  our  battery  in  the  early  part  of  the  war,  in 
1862,  and  was  obliged  to  resign  his  commission  on  account  of  ill  health;  Re- 


288  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  'A." 


solved.  That  by  his  death  another  name  has  been  added  to  the  list  of  those 
who  have  joined  the  silent  majority  of  our  country's  defenders.  Capt.  Mor- 
gan possessed  fine  ability  as  a  drillmaster,  and  much  of  the  efficiency  of  our 
battery  during  the  war  wras  due  to  the  instruction  given  by  him  during  the 
three  months'  service;  Resolved,  That  this  association  deeply  sympathize 
with  the  bereaved  family  of  the  deceased,  and  that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions 
be  spread  upon  the  records  of  our  association.  And,  Whereas,  It  has 
pleased  Almighty  God  to  remove  from  our  ranks  Comrade  Jeremiah  Ma- 
loney,  a  faithful  and  brave  soldier,  and  one  of  the  youngest  in  the  battery, 
therefore  be  it  Resolved,  That  in  his  death  we  mourn  the  loss  of  a  comrade 
who,  though  young  in  years,  faithfully  stood  by  us  in  many  battles  in  the 
face  of  the  enemy,  a  true  and  courageous  soldier,  always  ready  when  duty 
called,  and  never  lagging  in  zeal  and  enthusiasm  in  the  cause  of  his  country; 
Resolved,  That  we  sincerely  sympathize  with  the  family  of  our  late  comrade 
in  their  bereavement,  and  that  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  them, 
and  also  spread  upon  the  records  of  the  association."  Signed  by  Enoch 
Colby  and  F.  V.  Gindele,  Committee.  The  resolutions  were  adopted  unani- 
mously by  a  rising  vote. 

A  Nominating  Committee  appointed  by  the  Chair,  consisting 
of  Comrades  W.  L.  Southworth,  F.  W.  Young,  George  King,  James 
Phillips,  W.  H.  Young,  S.  S.  Kimbell  and  P.  P.  Powell,  reported  and 
recommended  the  names  of  Enoch  Colby,  Jr.,  for  President;  Ed.  Baggot, 
J.  Henry  Long,  George  King,  A.  W.  Pendleton,  John  Steele  and  Olaf 
Benson,  Vice  Presidents  numbered  in  the  order  named;  C.  B.  Kimbell,,  Sec- 
retary; F.  V.  Gindele,  Recording  Secretary;  H.  W.  Chase,  Treasurer;  W.  H. 
Young,  Sergeant-at-Arms ;  and  E.  H.  Rexford,  Musical  Director.  The 
Secretary  was  instructed  to  cast  one  ballot  for  the  names  as  reported,  which, 
being  done,  the  President  declared  them  duly  elected  as  officers  of  the  asso- 
ciation for  the  ensuing  year.  Comrade  Pitts  asked  for  information  as  to 
how  a  proper  discharge  could  be  obtained  for  service  during  the  three 
months'  service,  no  discharges  ever  having  been  issued.  After  some  discus- 
sion, the  following  resolution,  offered  by  Comrade  Jacobs,  was  adopted: 
"Resolved,  That  the  Executive  Committee  be  empowered  to  communicate 
with  the  proper  authorities,  either  of  the  State  or  the  United  States,  to  the 
end  that  the  members  of  three  months'  service  should  receive  an  honorable 
discharge  signed  by  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  State  or  United  States. 

Comrade  Allen,  in  behalf  of  the  members,  in  a  neat  speech  presented 
Secretary  Kimbell  with  an  elegant  gold-headed  cane,  suitably  inscribed,  as 
a  token  of  their  esteem  and  appreciation  of  his  services  to  the  association. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "//.''  289 

The  event,  with  the  well-chosen  remarks  of  the  President,  completely  un- 
nerved the  recipient,  who  attempted  to  express  his  thanks  as  best  he  could 
for  the  unexpected  gift. 

M.  N.  Kimbell,  Jr.,  and  John  F.  Powell,  of  Waukegan,  111.,  brother  of 
Comrade  P.  P.  Powell,  were  elected  honorary  members.  James  M.  Baggot, 
son  of  Comrade  Ed.  Baggot,  was  admitted  to  membership  as  such.  The 
meeting  then  adjourned  to  the  upper  rooms  of  the  armory,  where  tables 
were  spread  and  a  substantial  banquet  served,  after  which  an  adjournment 
was  had  for  one  year. 

The  fifth  annual  reunion  of  the  association  was  held  was.  held  at  Battery 
"D"  Armory,  August  26,  1889,  President  Enoch  Colby,  Jr.,  in  the  Chair.  In 
the  absence  on  account  of  sickness  of  Secretary  C.  B.  Kimbell,  the  min- 
utes of  the  last  annual  meeting  were  read  by  Recording  Secretary  F.  V.  Gin- 
dele,  which  were  approved.  He  made  a  verbal  report  for  the  Executive 
Committee,  stating  that  no  business  had  been  transacted  by  them  during 
the  year.  The  report  of  Treasurer  Chase  was  read  and  approved  and  or- 
dered on  file.  The  Chair  appointed  a  Committee  on  Resolutions,  consisting 
of  Comrades  W.  E.  Stockton,  C.  L.  Arnold  and  E.  D.  Clark,  on  the  death 
of  Comrades  Jacob  Clingman  and  Francis  T.  Sweenie.  Comrades  P.  P. 
Powell,  W.  S.  Southworth,  S.  S.  Kimbell,  W.  H.  Young  and  Charles  W. 
Poole  were  appointed  a  committee  to  nominate  officers  for  the  association 
for  the  ensuing  year.  They  reported  the  following  nominations :  President, 
Ed.  Baggot;  Vice  Presidents,  in  the  order  named,  J.  Henry  Long,  W.  E. 
Stockton,  John  Steele,  Olaf  Benson,  James  Phillips  and  C.  L.  Arnold;  Sec- 
retary, C.  B.  Kimbell;  Recording  Secretary,  F.  V.  Gindele;  Treasurer,  H. 
W.  Chase;  Sergeant-at-Arms,  E.  D.  Clark;  Musical  Director,  E.  H.  Rexford. 
The  Secretary  was  instructed  to  cast  one  ballot  for  the  names  submitted, 
which,  being  done,  the  Chair  declared  the  comrades  duly  elected  as  officers 
for  the  association  for  the  ensuing  year.  The  names  of  Walter  K.  Clark  and 

Pease,  sons  of  Comrades  E.  D.  Clark  and  S.  N.  Pease,  were  enrolled 

among  the  "Sons  of  Veterans"  of  the  Battery  Association.  Comrade  Allen 
reported  regarding  the  condition  of  Comrade  Jacobs,  that  he  was  still  in  the 
hospital  and  was  desirous  of  seeing  any  of  the  boys  whenever  they  could  con- 
veniently call  on  him.  The  members  then  adjourned  to  the  supper  room, 
where  a  tempting  and  substantial  spread  awaited  them.  After  the  banquet, 
letters  of  regret  were  read  from  Comrades  Ed.  Baggot,  C.  B.  Kimbell,  H.  S. 


290  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

Foote,  S.  G.  Williams,  J.  B.  Day,  S.  H.  Tallmadge,  John  Tack,  E.  S.  Hill,  C. 
L.  Church,  A.  W.  Pendleton,  E.  E.  Williams,  Wm.  Furness,  George  M. 
Brown  and  Harry  Roberts.  The  reunion  then  closed,  adjourning  till  1890. 
A  special  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  at  Battery  "D"  Armory, 
November  4,  1889.  There  were  present:  Comrades  E.  Baggot,  F.  V.  Gin- 
dele,  George  M.  Scott,  H.  W.  Chase,  W.  L.  Southworth,  E.  D.  Clark,  Fred 
W.  Young,  H.  W.  Young,  Ed.  Hughes,  James  Phillips,  Wm.  Lowe,  John 
Steele  and  C.  W.  Poole.  The  object  of  the  meeting  was  to  take  action  on 
the  death  at  the  hospital  of  Comrade  Lewis  F.  Jacobs,  also  to  secure  infor- 
mation regarding  the  graves  of  comrades  at  Rose  Hill,  in  the  battery  lot, 
and  not  marked.  A  committee  consisting  of  Comrades  W.  L.  Southworth, 
Frank  S.  Allen  and  C.  W.  Poole  was  appointed  to  draft  suitable  resolutions 
on  the  death  of  Comrade  Jacobs,  which  occurred  in  this  city  Oct.  21,  1889. 
He  had  willed  some  property  to  the  association,  and  proper  action  to  place 
the  same  in  trust  was  taken  under  advisement,  and  the  question  of  incorpo- 
rating the  association  was  referred  to  the  Executive  Committee,  with  power 
to  act.  A  meeting  of  the  Executive  Committee  was  held  at  the  office  of 
Comrade  Baggot,  Nov.  21,  1889.  There  were  present  Comrades  E.  Baggot, 
F.  V.  Gindele,  James  Phillips,  O.  Benson  and  H.  W.  Chase.  C.  B.  Kimbell 
was  absent  in  New  York  on  account  of  sickness.  Comrade  Allen  reported 
that  the  lot  willed  to  the  association  by  Comrade  Jacobs  was  subject  to  his 
personal  debts,  which  were  not  of  very  large  amount,  and  unpaid  taxes  and 
special  assessments.  Comrade  Allen  is  the  executor  of  the  estate  and  has 
probated  the  will.  An  offer  has  already  been  made  for  the  lot,  through 
Bowes  &  Cruikshank,  for  $1,000,  part  cash  and  balance  on  time.  Commit- 
tees were  appointed  on  headstones,  consisting  of  Comrades  Allen,  H.  W. 
Chase  and  Gindele,  and  on  charter  of  Allen,  Redmond  and  E.  D.  Clark.  The 
committee  then  adjourned  and  held  a  subsequent  meeting  May  21,  1890,  at 
the  office  of  Comrade  Baggot,  171  Adams  street,  at  which  were  present  Ed. 
Baggot,  F.  V.  Gindele,  Harry  Morgan,  John  Steele,  James  Phillips,  F.  S. 
Allen,  Enoch  Colby,  Jr.,  H.  W.  Chase,  and  C.  B.  Kimbell.  Chairman  Allen, 
of  the  Committee  on  Headstones,  reported  that  he  could  get  no  definite  in- 
formation of  the  Rose  Hill  Ceme*tery  Company  regarding  the  location  oi 
graves ;  although  they  had  promised  to  do  what  they  could,  they  had  failed  to 
accomplish  anything  definite.  Chairman  Gindele,  of  the  Monument  Com- 
mittee, reported  that  the  iron  rust  spots  in  the  monument  had  been  cut  out 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  291 

and  stone  plugs  inserted  m  the  holes.  Painting  the  monument  was  recom- 
mended. A  general  discussion  was  had  regarding  the  lot  donated  by  Com- 
rade Jacobs,  and  various  plans  and  suggestions  were  made  for  raising  money 
to  pay  the  debts  of  Jacobs,  for  which  the  lot  was  held,  also  to  meet  taxes 
and  special  assessments  which  stand  against  it.  On  motion  of  Comrade 
Chase,  Comrade  Allen  was  authorized  to  receive  subscriptions  in  the  nature 
of  a  loan,  to  be  repaid  when  the  lot  was  sold,  for  the  purpose  of  meeting  the 
estate's  indebtedness,  which  amount,  so  far  as  known,  to  not  less  than  $500. 
The  Committee  on  Headstones  asked  for  and  were  granted  further  time. 
Thereupon  the  meeting  adjourned. 

The  sixth  annual  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  at  Battery  "D" 
Armory,  October  i,  1890. 

There  were  present  at  this  meeting:  Ed.  Baggot,  E.  D.  Clark,  James 
Phillips,  Charles  E.  Clark,  Wm.  H.  Young,  George  King,  Moses  Hawks, 
E.  P.  Tobey,  Mac.  Slosser,  H.  W.  Chase,  F.  S.  Allen,  Wm.  Lowe,  P.  P. 
Powell,  Enoch  Colby,  and  C.  B.  Kimbell.  The  minutes  of  the  last  regular 
and  all  special  meetings  were  read  and  approved. 
Treasurer  H.  W.  Chase  reported: 

Receipts  on  account  of  last  reunion $140.98 

Payments  on  account  of  same  as  per  voucher  submitted H/-5O 


Leaving  balance  on  hand $32.48 

Which  report  was  approved  and  ordered  on  file.  Comrade  Allen  made 
a  verbal  report  regarding  the  Jacobs  lot.  Comrades  Ed.  Baggot,  H.  W. 
Chase  and  C.  B.  Kimbell  had  each  responded  with  $50,  under  resolution  of 
May  21.  The  election  of  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  was  discussed,  and, 
on  motion  of  Comrade  Colby,  Comrade  Tobey  was  authorized  to  cast  one 
ballot  for  the  present  officers  of  the  association.  It  was  done,  and  Comrade 
Tobey  announced  their  election  in  due  form.  The  death  of  Comrade  John 
J.  Redmond,  on  June  8,  1890,  was  announced,  and  a  Committee  on  Resolu- 
tions on  his  death  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Comrades  C.  B.  Kimbell, 
Enoch  Colby  and  Wr.  L.  Southworth.  The  meeting  then  adjourned,  a  large 
number  of  the  members  accepting  the  invitation  of  Comrade  Baggot  to 
proceed  to  the  Wellington  Hotel,  where  oysters,  etc.,  were  "set  up"  in  gen- 
erous style.  The  officers  as  re-elected  for  1890191  were:  President,  Ed.  Bag- 
got;  Vice  Presidents,  in  order  named,  J.  H.  Long,  W.  E.  Stockton.  John 
Steele,  Olof  Benson,  James  Phillips,  C.  L.  Arnold;  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell; 


292  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  '  1A. " 

Recording  Secretary,  F.  V.  Gindele;  Treasurer,  H.  W.  Chase;  Sergeant-at- 
Arms,  E.  D.  Clark;  Musical  Director,  E.  H.  Rexford. 

Seventh  annual  reunion,  October  7,  1891. 

The  members  met  at  Battery  "D"  Armory,  at  10  o'clock  a.  m.  The 
time  was  spent  until  noon  in  hearty  greetings,  talking  and  lunching,  coffee, 
sandwiches,  biscuits  and  doughnuts  having  been  liberally  provided,  and  the 
boys  demonstrated  that  their  joviality  and  appetites  were  as  lively  and  vig- 
orous as  during  the  times  of  war.  At  noon  they  formed  into  line  and 
marched  to  the  Lake  Front,  where,  with  many  other  veteran'  organizations, 
all  formed  into  column  and  marched  to  Lincoln  Park,  to  take  part  in  the  un- 
veiling of  the  Grant  monument.  An  immense  concourse  of  people  was 
present.  Our  company  had  a  fine  position  during  the  ceremonies,  close  to 
the  monument.  After  the  unveiling  ceremonies,  the  members  assembled 
at  the  Germania  Mannerchor  Club  rooms,  where  Comrade  Baggot  had  ar- 
ranged for  our  entertainment.  There  were  present  during  the  day  and 
evening,  Comrades: 

F.  W.  Young.  E.  P.  Tobey.  W.  E.  Stockton. 

A.  V.  Pitts.  John  Schaffer.  Olof  Benson. 

W.  R.  Page.  Harry  Morgan.  C.  L.  Arnold. 

Henry  Burdick.  Chas.  E.  Clark.  W.  H.  Johnson. 

M.  N.  Kimbell,  Sr.          P.  P.  Powell.  J.  W.  Kimbell. 

F.  S.  Allen.  W.  H.  Young.  S.  S.  Kimbell. 
J.  H.  Long.  E.  D.  Clark.  S.  G.  Williams. 
John  B.  Day.  J.  S.  Anderson.  H.  W.  Chase. 
E.  Colby,  Jr.  Thos.  Wilcox.  Ed  Hughes. 
Mac.  Slosser.  Jas.  Phillips.  C.  W.  Poole. 
John  D.  Dyer.  T.  S.  Clarkson.  J.  R.  Irwin. 
Ed.  S.  Hills.  John  Steele.  E.  D.  Clark. 

G.  M.  Brown.  Will  Lowe.  C.  B.  Kimbell. 
W.  H.  Lepperr.  E.  H.  Rexford. 

After  roll-call  the  minutes  of  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 
Resolutions  were  read  and  adopted  on  the  death  of  Comrades  John  J.  Red- 
mond and  Lewis  F.  Jacobs.  Comrade  Redmond  died  at  Chicago.  June  8, 
1890,  and  was  buried  at  Calvary.  Comrade  Jacobs  died  in  hospital  at  Chi- 
cago, Oct.  21,  1889,  and  was  buried  in  the  battery  lot  at  Rose  Hill.  Both 
funerals  were  well  attended  by  comrades  of  the  battery. 

Comrade  Stockton  was  appointed  a  committee  of  one  to  obtain,  if  pos- 
sible, of  Mr.  Larrabee  and  others,  such  original  documents  of  Captain 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  -A."  293 

Wood's  as  they  might  have  in  their  possession,  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
them  in  our  records  and  incorporating  such  as  would  be  valuable  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  battery.  It  was  decided  to  postpone  the  reunion  for  1893,  during 
the  World's  Fair.  The  election  of  officers  was  held,  resulting  as  follows:  For 
President,  J.  Henry  Long;  Vice  Presidents,  in  the  order  named,  W.  E. 
Stockton,  A.  V.  Pitts,  Wm.  Lowe,  Henry  Morgan,  C.  L.  Arnold  and  J.  W. 
Kimbell;  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell;  Recording  Secretary,  W.  L.  South- 
worth;  Treasurer,  H.  W.  Chase;  Sergeant-at-Arms,  C.  W.  Poole;  Musical 
Director,  E.  H.  Rexford.  The  thanks  of  the  association  were  tendered  to 
President  Baggot  and  Secretary  Kimbell  for  their  services  to  the  associa- 
tion during  their  terms  of  office.  The  banquet  which  followed  the  business 
meeting  was  attended  by  a  number  of  the  comrades,  wives,  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, and  a  very  pleasant  occasion  was  enjoyed  by  all.  The  banquet  was  fol- 
lowed by  rcadirg  letters  and  regrets  from  absent  comrades.  Comrade  Par- 
son Risley's  letter  from  Seattle  was  so  characteristic  that  it  is  given  in  full, 
and  we  have  no  doubt  all  the  boys  will  enjoy  reading  a  communication  direct 
from  the  "Old  Parson." 

"Seattle,  Washington,  July  17,  1893. 
"C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary  Battery  'A'  C.  L.  A.  Vet.  Assn.: 

"Dear  Comrade:  Your  very  kind  invitation  to  the  grand  reunion  of 
the  old  Battery  'A'  is  received,  and  in  reply  would  say  that  I  deeply  regret 
my  inability  to  be  present  on  that  occasion,  but  in  heart  and  hand  I  am  always 
with  you.  I  am  at  the  present  writing  enjoying  the  delightful  climate  and 
scenery  of  Puget  Sound,  in  the  city  of  Seattle,  where  I  have  been  for  the 
last  four  years,  having  as  good  a  time  as  possible  so  far  away  from  old  com- 
rades, friends  and  associates. 

"Say  to  the  girls  and  boys  of  Battery  'A'  that  'Old  Parson'  is  still  on 
deck,  and  often,  while  in  company  with  Jack  Rumsey,  we  talk  over  those 
pleasant  recollections  of  bygone  days.  Jack  and  myself  are  in  all  probability 
farther  away  from  that  beautiful  city  of  Chicago  than  any  other  members  of 
Battery  'A,'  still  our  love  for  her  and  her  kind-hearted  and  patriotic  citizens 
that  were  so  generous  to  us  in  those  dark  days,  grows  no  less.  We  still  cling 
to  her  and  her  good  people,  as  we  do  to  our  country  and  the  dear  old  flag. 

"Seattle,  the  queen  city  of  the  Sound,  is  well  stocked  with  all  'kinds  of 
choicest  fruits  and  berries  of  the  season,  while  the  shores  of  her  lovely  bays 
are  filled  with  delicious  clams,  and  her  waters,  with  all  kinds  of  salt  water 
fish,  the  mountain  streams  alive  with  trout,  all  of  which  afford  abundance  of 
sport  for  the  angler  these  delightful  summer  days. 

"Still  Jack  and  myself  have  been   sitting  down  so  long  waiting  for 


294  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

'suckers'  that  we  will  soon  need  re-enforcements  to  make  us  presentable  to 
our  families.  It  recalls  to  memory  a  scene  in  '61,  way  down  in  Egypt,  when 
Lou  Mitchell  was  crucified  for  being  in  camp  with  a  whole  pair  of  pants.  But 
such  is  life  in  the  wild  and  woolly  West. 

"Mrs.  Risley  wishes  to  be  kindly  remembered  to  all  the  girls  of  Bat- 
tery 'A,'  especially  to  Mrs.  Spencer  Kimbell,  Mrs.  Chase  and  others. 

"Wishing  you  all  a  good  time  and  a  full  house,  and  my  kind  regards  to 
all  the  girls  and  boys,  is  the  prayer  of  the  only  private  on  the  Sound.  Yours 
fraternally,  H.  B.  Risley." 

Comrade  Rexford  gave  all  the  bugle  calls,  which  were  enthusiastically 
received  by  the  boys.  Short  speeches  were  made  by  Comrades  Clarkson, 
Day,  Rexford  and  others,  and  at  8:30  p.  m.  the  meeting  adjourned. 

June  4,  1892,  a  meeting  of  the  association  was  held  at  the  office  of  Com- 
rade J.  H.  Long,  for  the  purpose  of  incorporating  the  association  under  the 
State  law.  Comrades  present  at  this  meeting  were  J.  H.  Long,  H.  W.  Chase, 
A.  W.  Gray,  Mac.  Slosser,  F.  S.  Allen,  Harry  Morgan,  E.  D.  Clark,  C.  L. 
Arnold,  C.  B.  Kimbell,  P.  P.  Powell  and  James  Phillips.  It  was  decided 
that  we  should  incorporate,  and  Comrades  J.  H.  Long,  H.  W.  Chase,  C.  B. 
Kimbell,  C.  L.  Arnold  and  Harry  Morgan  were  instructed  to  procure  the 
necessary  papers  from  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  they  were  appointed  as  a 
Board  of  Directors,  to  serve  for  the  first  year.  The  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws  adopted  were  as  follows : 

ARTICLE  I. 

This  organization  shall  be  known  as  "The  Battery  'A,'  Chicago  Light 
Artillery,  Association." 

ARTICLE  II. 

The  object  of  this  association  is  to  preserve  and  strengthen  those  kind 
and  fraternal  feelings,  which  bound  together  the  members  of  old  Battery  "A," 
who  united  to  assist  in  suppressing  the  late  rebellion,  and  to  perpetuate  the 
history  of  the  battery  and  the  memory  of  its  noble  dead. 

ARTICLE  III. 

Section  i.  Regular  meetings  of  this  association  shall  be  held  annually, 
on  the  call  of  the  President. 

Sec.  2.  Special  meetings  may  be  called  at  any  time  by  the  President,  or  he 
shall  call  such  meeting  upon  the  written  application  of  five  members. 

Sec.  3.  Nine  members  shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the  transaction 
of  business. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A"  295 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Any  member  of  the  late  Battery  "A,"  First  Illinois  Artillery,  shall  be 
eligible  to  membership  upon  signing  the  Constitution. 

ARTICLE  V. 

Section  I.  The  affairs  of  this  association  shall  be  under  the  manage- 
ment of  five  directors,  to  be  elected  by  ballot,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
members  of  the  association. 

Sec.  2.  The  directors  shall  choose  from  their  own  number  a  President, 
Vice  President,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  they  shall  hold  their  respective 
offices  for  the  period  of  one  year  next  following  their  election,  and  until  their 
successors  shall  be  elected  and  qualified. 

Sec.  3.  Vacancies  in  the  offices  of  the  association  or  Board  of  Di- 
rectors may  be  filled  for  the  unexpired  term  at  any  regular  or  special  meet- 
ing of  the  Board  of  Directors. 

Sec.  4.  The  Board  of  Directors  may  require  from  the  several  officers, 
from  time  to  time,  such  bond  as  in  their  discretion  they  shall  deem  best  for 
the  faithful  performance  of  their  respective  duties  of  said  offices. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

Section  i.    The  President  shall  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the  association. 

Sec.  2.  The  Vice  President  shall  perform  such  duties  as  may  be  required 
of  him  by  the  President,  and  in  his  absence  shall  take  his  place. 

Sec.  3.  The  Secretary  shall  attend-  all  meetings  of  the  Directors  and 
keep  a  record  of  the  proceedings  of  said  meetings.  He  shall  keep,  or  cause 
to  be  kept,  proper  books  of  account  of  the  association.  He  shall  have  cus- 
tody of  all  books,  documents  and  papers  of  said  association,  and  its  corporate 
seal.  He  shall  annually  furnish  a  detailed  statement  of  the  receipts  and  ex- 
penditures of  the  association. 

Sec.  4.  The  Treasurer  shall  keep  all  moneys  of  the  association,  and 
shall  disburse  the  same  on  the  order  of  the  President,  countersigned  by  the 
Secretary. 

Sec.  5.  All  bonds,  contracts  and  other  instruments  to  be  made  on  behalf 
of  the  association  shall  be  executed  by  the  President  and  Secretary,  after 
having  been  approved  by  the  Board  of  Directors. 

ARTICLE  VII. 

This  association  will  be  sustained  by  the  voluntary  subscriptions  of  its 
members. 

ARTICLE  VIII. 

This  Constitution  shall  be  amended  only  at  an  annual  meeting,  by  a 
majority  present. 


296  HISTORY  OF  BATTHKY  "/*." 

ORDER  OF  BUSINESS. 

1.  Association  called  to  order  by  the  President. 

2.  Roll  of  officers  and  members  called  by  the  Secretary. 

3.  Reading  of  journal  of  last  regular  and  special  meeting. 

4.  Report  of  Treasurer  and  Executive  Committee. 

5.  Reading  miscellaneous  communications. 

6.  Unfinished  and  new  business. 

7.  Balloting  for  officers. 

The  license  for  incorporation  which  was  granted  reads : 

"State  of  Illinois,  Department  of  State, 

'Tsaac  N.  Pearson,  Secretary  of  State. 
"To  All  Whom  These  Presents  Shall  Come — Greeting: 

"Whereas,  A  certificate,  duly  signed  and  acknowledged,  having  been 
filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  on  the  7th  day  of  June,  A.  D. 
1892,  for  the  organization  of  the  Battery  'A,'  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  Asso- 
ciation, under  and  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  'An  Act  concerning 
corporations,  approved  April  18,  1872,  and  in  force  July  i,  1872,  and  all  acts 
amendatory  thereof,  a  copy  of  which  certificate  is  hereto  attached.  Now, 
therefore,  I,  Isaac  N.  Pearson,  Secretary  of  State  of  Illinois,  by  virtue  of  the 
powers  and  duties  vested  in  me  by  law,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  said  Bat- 
tery 'A/  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  Association,  is  a  legally  organized  corpora- 
tion under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Illinois.  In  testimony  whereof  I  hereto 
set  my  hand  and  cause  to  be  affixed  the  great  Seal  of  State. 

Done  at  the  city  of  Springfield,  this  7th  day  of  June,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1892,  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  the  n6th. 

"Seal.  Isaac  N.  Pearson,  Secretary  of  State." 

June  20  following  the  Board  of  Directors  met  at  the  office  of  Comrade 
J.  H.  Long.  There  were  present  Comrades  J.  H.  Long,  H.  W.  Chase  and 
C.  B.  Kimbell.  Comrade  Frank  S.  Allen  was  also  present  unofficially.  An 
election  of  officers  to  serve  for  one  year  was  held.  J.  H.  Long  was  elected 
President;  C.  L.  Arnold,  Vice  President;  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary;  H.  W. 
Chase,  Treasurer.  Comrade  Allen  made  a  verbal  statement  regarding  the 
condition  of  the  Jacobs  lot  matter,  he  being  the  executor  of  the  estate.  It  was 
decided  by  the  Board  that  if  an  advantageous  offer  for  the  purchase  of  the 
lot  could  be  obtained,  it  would  be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  association  to 
sell  it,  and  with  the  proceeds  pay  off  the  debts  against  the  Jacobs  estate  and 
have  the  balance  for  a  fund  to  keep  the  battery  cemetery  lot  at  Rose  Hill  in 
proper  condition,  procure  headstones  for  comrades  buried  on  the  lot,  and 
for  such  uses  as  the  association  should  deem  best. 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/*."  297 

The  eighth  annual  reunion  of  the  association  was  held  during  the 
World's  Fair,  Sept.  9,  1893,  at  the  Sheridan  Club  House,  in  Chicago.  The 
Executive  Committee  having  the  arrangements  for  this  meeting  in  charge 
were:  J.  H.  Long,  H.  W.  Chase,  C.  L.  Arnold,  Harry  Morgan  and  C.  B. 
Kimbell.  The  last  circular  letter  issued  by  the  committee  to  the  members, 
setting  the  date  for  the  meeting,  was  Aug.  18,  1893,  at  which  time  all  the 
members  of  the  committee  were  in  their  usual  health  and  vigor.  Before  the 
date  of  the  reunion  Comrades  Chase  and  Morgan  were  called  suddenly  to 
their  final  rest.  Their  sudden  taking  off  cast  a  gloom  over  the  boys,  and  all 
realized  more  than  ever  before  that  we  were  rapidly  nearing  the  end  of  our 
earthly  career.  Members  in  attendance  as  registered  were: 

Edgar  P.  Tobey.  P.  P.  Powell.  Fred.  B.  Leavitt. 

Enoch  Colby,  Jr.  John  T.  Connell.  O.  C.  Foster. 

J.  H.  Long.  Wm.  E.  Stockton.  M.  N.  Kimbell,  Sr. 

E.  D.  Clark.  John  Schaffer.  Will  Lowe. 

John  Steele.  F.  M.  Kantzler.  W.  H.  Renfro. 

G.  M.  Scott.  Wm.  H.  Young.  Olof  Benson. 

Ed.  Baggot.  S.  S.  Kimbell.  G.  M.  Brown. 

Chas.  C.  Briggs.  M.  A.  Bartelson.  Wm.  L.  Southworth. 

E.  H.  Rexford.  Albert  Dixson.  Frank  S.  Allen. 

A.  W.  Gray.  Moses  Hawks.  Thos.  Powell. 

C.  B.  Kimbell.  Sam.  M.  Fargo.  Thad.  S.  Clarkson. 

T.  W.  Kimbell.  C.  W.  Poole.  Mac.  Slosser. 

Ed  S.  Hills.  Ed.  Mendsen.  Chas.  A.  Lamb. 

Henry  Burdick.  John  L.  Haslett. 

President  J.  H.  Long  presided.  Many  of  the  members  were  accom- 
panied by  their  wives,  sons  and  daughters.  The  rooms  were  patriotically 
decorated  with  flags  and  bunting,  and  at  9  a.  m.  were  opened  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  company.  Before  noon  nearly  every  member  had  arrived.  Lentil 
2:30  p.  m.,  when  the  company  adjourned  to  the  banquet  hall,  the  time  was 
spent  in  greetings  and  sociability.  A  sumptuous  banquet  excellently  served 
was  enjoyed  by  all.  After  the  banquet  followed  the  reading  of  letters  of  re- 
gret from  absent  comrades.  Those  who  had  responded  were:  Wm.  O.  Rice, 
John  B.  Day,  Parson  Risley,  Ed.  E.  Williams,  Wm.  H.  Cowlin,  Nathan  T. 
Cox,  Charles  E.  Smith,  E.  P.  Fish,  Clarence  L.  Church,  Sam.  Kennedy,  J. 
M.  Dusenberry,  B.  Burdick,  J.  F.  Dunlap,  J.  S.  Anderson,  Harry  Roberts, 
and  J.  X.  Sherman.  After  the  banquet  the  comrades  and  their  guests  re- 
paired to  the  Assembly  Hall,  where  the  business  meeting  was  held.  The 


298  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A" 

Secretary  called  the  roll  of  the  entire  battery.  The  minutes  of  the  last  meet- 
ing were  read  and  approved.  The  Secretary,  in  the  absence  of  Treasurer 
Comrade  Chase,  who  died  so  recently,  made  a  verbal  statement  of  the  finan- 
cial condition  of  the  association,  which  was  approved.  The  Committee  on 
Resolutions,  through  Comrade  W.  E.  Stockton,  reported  and  read  the  fol- 
lowing resolutions,  which  were  adopted  by  a  rising  vote: 

"Comrades:  Since  our  last  meeting  it  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  re- 
lieve from  their  duties  here,  that  they  may  enter  upon  their  rest,  our  Com- 
rades and  friends,  George  B.  Beach,  Laurin  H.  Beach,  Caleb  S.  Birdsall, 
Horace  W.  Chase,  James  Phillips,  Harry  Morgan  and  Fred  W.  Young,  all 
well-known  as  tried  and  true  comrades,  soldiers  and  friends,  never  found 
wanting  in  the  hour  of  peril  and  privation,  and  ever  ready  to  brighten  the 
lot  of  those  around  them  by  their  kindly  counsel  and  assistance.  Therefore, 
we,  their  comrades,  who  are  left  to  mourn  their  absence  from  their  places 
here  with  us  to-day,  would  offer  the  following  as  a  slight  token  of  our  respect 
and  love;  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  our  comrades,  Geo.  B.  Beach,  Laurin  H. 
Beach,  Caleb  S.  Birdsall,  Horace  W.  Chase,  James  Phillips,  Harry  Morgan 
and  Fred  W.  Young,  we  bow  to  the  will  of  Him  who  has  led  our  friends 
safely  through  the  hum  of  battle  and  privation,  and  who  has  brought  them 
to  the  everlasting  peace  and  rest  of  those  who,  knowing  their  duty,  do  not 
flinch  from  its  performance.  'He  doeth  all  things  well.' 

"Resolved,  That  the  memory  of  their  gallant  deeds  and  kindly  actions 
can  never  be  effaced  from  our  hearts. 

"Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  inscribed  on  the  records  of  our 
association,  that  those  who  shall  stand  in  our  places  may  learn  how  they 
were  mourned  and  loved  by  those  who  knew  them  well  and  found  them  true. 
And  be  it  further 

"Resolved,  That  copies  of  these  resolutions  be  suitably  prepared  and 
sent  to  the  families  or  sorrowing  friends  of  the  deceased." 

Next  in  order  was  the  nomination  and  election  of  officers.  A  Board 
of  Directors  was  elected,  consisting  of  Comrades  Wm.  E.  Stockton,  Spencer 
S.  Kimbell,  Charles  B.  Kimbell,  Edward  Baggot  and  E.  H.  Rexford.  There 
being  no  further  unfinished  or  new  business  the  meeting  resolved  itself  into 
an  informal  gathering,  various  members  making  interesting  short  talks. 
Major  T.  S.  Clarkson  made  a  particularly  happy  and  interesting  speech.  All 
the  bugle  calls  were  given  by  Comrade  Rexford,  each  call  bringing  out 
rousing  cheers  from  the  boys  as  the  old  familiar  notes  brought  back  the 
memories  of  bygone  days.  Comrade  Rexford  also  furnished  sentimental 


HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "  A. "  301 

and  patriotic  music,  ably  assisted  by  his  daughter  Laura,  with  the  violin,  in 
fine,  artistic  style.  Prof.  Burmeister,  of  the  First  Nebraska,  the  support  of 
our  battery  at  Fort  Donelson,  gave  a  fine  recitation.  After  all  joined  in 
singing  "America,"  the  reunion  adjourned.  Immediately  after  adjournment 
a  meeting  of  the  newly-elected  Board  of  Directors  was  held;  E.  H.  Rexford 
was  chosen  Chairman  and  C.  B.  Kimbell  Secretary.  The  election  for  officers 
resulted  in  choosing:  President,  Wm.  E.  Stockton;  Vice  President,  S.  S. 
Kimbell;  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell;  Treasurer,  Ed.  Baggot;  Musical  Di- 
rector, E.  H.  Rexford. 

A  photographer  was  on  hand  and  a  very  fine  group  of  the  members 
was  taken.  Copies  were  sent  to  many  of  the  nonresident  comrades.  One 
sent  to  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Lamb,  whose  husband  was  present  and  only  sur- 
vived two  weeks  after  the  reunion,  brought  forth  the  following  grateful  ac- 
knowledgment. 

"404  Cass  Street,  Albion,  Mich.,  Dec.   12,  1893. 
"C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary: 

"Dear  Sir:  The  photograph  of  group  is  received.  Many  thanks  for 
your  kindness  in  mailing  it  to  me.  It  is  a  very  fine  group,  indeed,  and  I 
shall  prize  it  highly,  both  on  account  of  the  picture  of  my  beloved  husband 
and  of  the  comrades  he  loved  to  mention  so  often.  I  am  very  proud  of  it,  as 
Mr.  Lamb  would  have  been  could  he  have  lived  to  see  it,  and  show  it  to  his 
friends.  With  kind  regards  to  all  ;the  comrades,  I  am,  very  truly  yours, 

"Mrs.  Charles  A.  Lamb." 

"The  Timberman,"  the  lumber  trade  journal  of  Chicago,  of  date  of 
Sept.  9,  1893,  the  day  of  our  eighth  reunion,  contained  a  very  eulogistic 
article  on  the  life  of  Comrade  Horace  W.  Chase,  who  was  an  old  and  hon- 
ored member  of  the  lumber  trade  of  the  city. 

The  ninth  annual  reunion  was  held  Sept.  7,  1895,  at  the  home  of  Com- 
rade S.  S.  Kimbell,  1527  Kimbell  avenue,  Chicago.  Members  in  attendance 
as  registered  were:  W.  H.  Bailey,  Edward  Johnson,  Charles  E.  Clark,  C.  B. 
Kimbell,  S.  S.  Kimbell,  George  M.  Brown,  W.  H.  Renfro,  George  M.  Scott, 
P.  P.  Powell,  C.  L.  Arnold,  John  Schaffer,  W.  L.  Southworth,  J.  D.  Dyer, 
C.  W.  Poole,  S.  N.  Pease,  J.  W.  Kimbell,  E.  H.  Rexford,  Henry  Burdick, 
Edward  Baggot,  A.  W.  Gray,  W.  E.  Stockton,  E.  P.  Fish,  Moses  Hawks, 
E.  Colby,  Jr.,  Olof  Benson,  Ed.  Mendsen,  J.  H.  Long.  Comrade  A.  C. 
Waterhouse,  of  Waterhouse's  Battery,  made  a  short  call,  which  was  en- 
tirely unexpected  and  very  much  enjoyed. 


302  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

A  large  number  of  the  wives,  sons  and  daughters  of  members  were 
present,  also  many  of  our  deceased  members'  near  relatives.  A  season  of 
sociabilit)',  music,  etc.,  was  enjoyed,  and  at  i  o'clock  the  tables,  set  in  form 
of  a  letter  "A,"  under  a  spacious  tent  on  the  lawn,  and  well  filled  with  sub- 
stantial and  tempting  viands,  were  filled,  and  an  hour  spent  in  disposing  of 
them.  The  business  meeting  then  opened,  President  Comrade  Stockton 
presiding. 

The  roll  of  the  entire  battery  was  then  called,  after  which  the  minutes 
of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved.  The  Treasurer's  report  was 
next  read  and  approved  and  ordered  placed  on  file.  Letters  of  regret  were 
read  from  ab'sent  comrades,  followed  by  a  bugle  solo,  "The  Soldier's  Fare- 
well," by  Comrade  Rexford. 

Resolutions  on  the  death  of  comrades  passing  away  since  our  last  re- 
union, also  on  the  death  of  Martin  N.  Kimbell,  Sr.,  were  read  by  Comrade 
Stockton,  and  passed  by  a  rising  vote.  The  resolutions  were  as  follows : 

"Comrades,  since  our  last  meeting  the  following  comrades  have  en- 
tered into  their  rest:  Charles  A.  Lamb,  Edgar  P.  Tobey,  Edgar  D.  Clark, 
Aurelius  V.  Pitts,  Silas  G.  Williams,  M.  W.  Axtell. 

"Those  of  us  who  knew  these  comrades  intimately,  who  stood  beside 
them  in  battle,  who  endured  with  them  the  trials  and  privations  of  the  long 
and  weary  marches,  and  the  monotony  of  camp  life  away  from  home  and  its 
attractions,  learned  to  feel  a  bond  that  endeared  them  as  brothers,  and  which 
we  doubt  is  felt  or  sustained  in  any  other  path  of  life,  and  its  full  signifi- 
cance is  known  to  us,  when  their  names  are  called  on  this,  their  last  roll  call, 
and  we  know  we  shall  see  them  and  hear  their  voices  no  more  until  we,  too, 
shall  enter  into  the  future  life;  therefore,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  loss  to  us  of  these  comrades  who  have  passed 
from  this  life  since  our  last  meeting,  we  feel  that  bereavement  which  comes 
to  them  who  lose  from  their  lives  those  who  stood  tried  and  true  in  the 
hour  of  clanger,  and  in  whose  pleasant  friendship  the  care  and  trials  of  a 
soldier's  life  were  made  bright  and  endurable,  and  we  feel  their  loss  all  the 
more  as  our  roll  call  grows  shorter,  for  we  know  that  their  places  can  never 
again  be  filled  in  our  hearts.  And  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  spread  on  the  minutes  of  this 
meeting,  and  suitably  engrossed  copies  be  sent  to  the  families  of  each  de- 
parted comrade  by  the  Secretary." 

"Since  our  last  meeting  we  are  called  upon  to  mourn  the  loss  of  one  who, 
while  known  as  an  associated  member  of  Battery  "A"  on  our  records,  was 
recognized  and  loved  by  every  member  of  our  organization  as  Battery  "A's" 


HISTOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A . "  303 


father.  I  allude  to  our  dear  friend,  Martin  N.  Kimbell,  Sr.  He  gave  his 
brave  boys  to  help  fill  our  ranks,  and,  not  satisfied  with  that,  his  great  heart 
overflowing  with  patriotism  and  love  for  Battery  "A"  brought  him  to  our 
camp  again  and  again,  always  with  the  same  bright  presence,  always  brave 
and  helpful,  believing  in  the  justice  and  success  of  our  cause  as  he  believed 
in  his  God;  such  a  man  was  an  inspiration  to  every  soldier  who 
was  honored  by  his  friendship.  We  speak  of  the  spirit  of  1776,  and 
we  understand  the  devotion  of  those  trying  days,  and  so  we  would  speak  of 
Father  Kimbell  as  the  spirit  of  Battery  "A."  He  was  fearless  in  the  hour  of 
danger,  tender  and  true  to  comrades  always.  In  testimony  of  our  love  and 
regard,  we  offer  the  following: 

"Be  it  resolved,  That  in  the  departure  of  our  good  friend,  Martin  X. 
Kimbell,  Sr.,  this  association  has  lost  one  who  at  all  times  has  held  our  Bat- 
tery 'A'  close  to  his  heart,  giving  his  sons  to  fill  its  ranks.  He  gave  his 
heart  and  all  that  went  with  it  to  comfort  and  sustain  its  members  and  to 
instill  in  their  minds  a  sense  of  patriotism  and  duty.  We  can  never  repay 
his  kindness,  but  we  will  love  and  keep  green  his  memory.  He  has  passed 
away  full  of  years  and  honors,  living  to  see  the  consummation  of  his  dearest 
hope  in  the  wonderful  growth  of  a  reunited  country.  And,  in  the  love  and 
regard  of  every  soldier,  and  of  every  one  who  knew  him,  reaping  his  well- 
won  reward.  As  long  as  a  name  is  answered  to  our  roll  call,  so  long  will  his 
good  life  and  kind  deeds  be  remembered  by  Battery  'A.'  Be  it 

"Resolved,  That  our  Secretary  be  instructed  to  send  to  each  member 
of  Mr.  Kimbell's  family  a  copy  of  these  resolutions." 

After  the  reading  of  the  resolutions,  "Home,  Sweet  Home"  was  beau- 
tifully rendered  on  the  cornet  by  Comrade  Rexford. 

The  election  of  Directors  followed.  Five  Directors  were  nominated 
and  unanimously  elected  by  ballot  cast  by  the  Secretary  as  follows:  S.  S. 
Kimbell,  George  M.  Scott,  Edward  Baggot,  C.  B.  Kimbell  and  E.  H.  Rex- 
ford. 

The  Directors  imediately  met  and  elected  officers  for  the  ensuing  year 
as  follows:  S.  S.  Kimbell,  President;  George  M.  Scott,  Vice  President;  Ed- 
ward Baggot,  Treasurer;  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary;  E.  H.  Rexford,  Musical 
Director;  Miss  Laura  Rexford,  Assistant  Musical  Director. 

A  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  the  Kimbell  family  for  their  part  of  the 
entertainment.  Two  national  salutes  were  fired  by  Comrade  S.  M.  Tyrrell 
with  Comrade  Baggot's  gun,  which  were  vigorously  cheered  by  the  com- 
rades, and  created  havoc  with  horses  in  the  neighborhood. 

After  singing  and  music,  the  meeting  adjourned  subject  to  the  call  of 
the  officers. 


304  HtSTOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A.  " 

The  tenth  annual  reunion  of  the  association  was  held  Sept.  5,  1896,  at 
the  residence  of  S.  S.  Kimbell,  1527  Kimbell  avenue,  Chicago.  The  meet- 
ing was  in  the  form  of  a  basket  picnic.  Twenty-nine  members  were  pres- 
ent, many  of  them  with  their  wives,  sons  and  daughters.  The  near  relatives 
of  several  of  our  deceased  comrades  were  present,  making  a  total  of  about 
200  in  attendance.  The  day  was  all  that  could  be  asked  for,  and  it  was 
greatly  enjoyed  by  all.  Tables  were  spread  under  spacious  tents  on  the 
lawn.  The  boys  were  mostly  on.  hand  at  10  o'clock,  and  spent  the  time  till 
noon  in  greetings  and  general  sociability.  At  12  o'clock  dinner  was  an- 
nounced. All  fell  in  with  all  the  ardor  of  old  war  tines,  and  ample  justice 
was  done  to  the  meal.  After  dinner  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by 
Comrade  President  S.  S.  Kimbell.  The  roll  of  the  entire  battery  was  called 
by  Secretary  C.  B.  Kimbell,  followed  by  reading  the  journal  of  the  last  an- 
nual meeting.  The  reports  of  the  Treasurer  and  of  the  Executive  Committee 
were  also  read,  and  all  were  approved  and  ordered  placed  on  file. 

The  annual  report  of  the  officers  of  the  association  for  1895-6,  as  sub- 
mitted, was  as  follows: 

"We  have  great  cause  for  thankfulness  that  since  our  last  reunion  on 
these  grounds,  September  7,  1895,  we  have  held  unbroken  ranks.  Not  a 
single  member  of  our  association  (so  far  as  we  know)  has  crossed  over  the 
river  of  life.  In  view  of  the  physical  condition  of  many  of  us,  and  the  ad- 
vancing years  of  all,  this  is  a  record  which  we  could  hardly  hope  to  main- 
tain for  any  great  length  of  time.  We  are  pleased  to  report  the  financial 
affairs  of  our  association  in  a  comfortable  condition.  The  first 
note  in  payment  of  the  lot  bequeathed  to  us  by  our  late  Comrade  Ja- 
cobs was  promptly  paid  with  interest.  Also  interest  on  the  two  remaining 
notes,  which  notes  we  hold,  and  are  due  in  one  and  two  years,  and  are 
amply  secured  against  any  possible  depreciation.  The  payment  of  this 
note  has  enabled  us  to  pay  all  the  bequests  of  Comrade  Jacobs,  so  far  as  we 
have  been  able  to  find  the  beneficiaries,  and  to  liquidate  all  of  the  debts  in- 
curred by  the  association  in  carrying  the  lot  until  sold,  and  the  interest  on 
the  remainder  of  the  fund  is  ample  to  meet  our  current  expenses,  which  are 
not  large,  and  probably  leave  a  small  amount  which  can  be  placed  in  a 
sinking  fund  to  meet  any  future  emergencies  of  the  association.  A  few  of 
our  members  met  on  Decoration  Day  at  our  monument  in  Rose  Hill,  and 
decorated  the  gun  and  the  graves  with  flowers  and  flags.  Members  should 
make  special  efforts  to  gather  there  on  that  day,  as  other  associations  are 
doing  so  more  generally  each  year,  and  we  do  not  want  to  be  behind  our 
brother  comrades  in  this  respect.  The  large  oak  tree  standing  in  the  center 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A."  305 


of  our  lot  was  found  to  have  several  large  decayed  branches  overhanging 
the  monument,  endangering  it  in  case  of  their  falling  during  a  high  wind. 
These  branches  have  been  removed,  and  the  tall,  straight  trunk  of  the  tree 
stands  covered  with  vines,  and  is  much  improved  in  appearance,  and  is  a 
very  appropriate  ornament  to  the  last  resting  place  of  our  departing  com- 
rades. The  Cemetery  Association  has  been  communicated  with  regarding 
terms  for  the  "perpetual  care"  of  our  lot.  In  reply  the  following  was  re- 
ceived : 

"Chicago,  Sept.  i,  1896. 
"C.  B.  Kimbell  City: 

"Dear  Sir:  Our  greenhouse  manager  informs  us  that  a  principal  sum 
of  $200  would  be  needed  for  the  proper  care  of  the  Battery  'A,'  Chicago 
Light  Artillery,  Association  lots  (one  to  six,  section  A).  The  lots  need 
grading,  but  if  the  sum  named  is  deposited  this  fall,  we  will  do  that  without 
any  extra  charge.  The  trimming  of  the  tree  you  called  attention  to  has 
been  done,  for  which  there  will  be  no  charge.  The  sum  named  cares  for  and 
preserves  the  lot  and  memorials  forever.  Yours  truly, 

"Eugene  C.  Long,  Secretary." 

We  would  recommend  that  favorable  action  be  taken  by  the  association 
on  this  proposition  whenever  our  finances  will  warrant  it.  "We  have  been 
placed  in  possession  of  a  very  valuable  relic  of  the  early  days  of  the  old  bat- 
tery through  the  kindness  of  Comrade  Southworth,  which  is  the  first  record 
of  the  battery  organization  before  the  war,  from  Dec.  2.  1857,  to  Aug.  7,  1863. 
If  the  full  history  of  our  battery  is  ever  published  this  will  be  a  very  appro- 
priate and  useful  starter  for  it. 

Notices  and  invitations  of  this  meeting  were  fairly  well  responded  to, 
and  regrets  were  received  from  twenty-eight  members.  The  national  en- 
campment of  the  G.  A.  R.  closed  its  session  at  St.  Paul  yesterday.  A  number 
of  our  comrades  were  prevented  from  being  present  here  to-day  on  account 
of  attendance  there,  but  we  have  great  consolation  therefor  in  learning 
from  the  dispatches  that  our  loved  and  respected  comrade,  Thaddeus  S. 
Clarkson.  was  unanimously  elected  to  the  high  office  of  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  that  grand  and  noble  organization,  a  fit  recognition  of  his  long, 
faithful  and  valuable  services  to  it,  and  of  which  we  may  all  well  be  proud." 

Letters  of  regret  were  read  from  absent  comrades.  New  business  being 
next  announced,  it  was  resolved  to  send  a  telegram  to  Comrade  T.  S. 
Clarkson,  congratulating  him  on  his  election  to  the  office  of  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  G.  A.  R.  at  the  national  encampment  then  in  session  at  St. 
Paul.  The  following  dispatch  was  forwarded  and  reply  returned: 


306  HIS  TOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A. " 


"Chicago,  Sept.  5,  1896. 
"Major  T.  S.  Clarkson,  Comniander-in-Chief  G.  A.  Ri,  Omaha,  Neb.: 

"Your  original  comrades,  in  annual  reunion  assembled,  are  proud  of 
the  honor  and  distinction  of  furnishing  from  our  ranks  the  highest  officer 
for  the  grandest  soldier  organization  on  earth.  We  know  the  honor  so 
worthily  bestowed  will  be  faithfully  and  creditably  executed. 

"Battery  'A,'  Chicago  Light  Artillery,  Veteran  Association, 

"C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary." 

"Headquarters  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
"Office  of  the  Commander-in-Chief, 

"Omaha,  Xeb.,  Sept.  18,  1896. 
"C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary: 

"The  message  of  congratulation  from  Battery  'A'  Veteran  Association 
conveyed  to  me  by  you  has  touched  me  beyond  expression.  Xo  word  re- 
ceived has  meant  so  much  to  me,  or  touched  me  so  deeply,  as  that  coming 
from  the  grand  men  with  whom  I  immediately  touched  elbows  during  that 
awful  struggle.  Three  members  of  Battery  'A'  were  present  at  St.  Paul,  and 
participated  in  the  great  honor  conferred  upon  me,  and  I  believe  that  honor 
carried  no  greater  satisfaction  to  any  of  the  thousands  present  than  to  those 
splendid  fellows,  Page,  Gray  and  Sam.  Tallmadge.  Please  convey  to  the 
'boys'  my  hearty  thanks  and  my  best  wishes  for  their  success,  and  my  sin- 
cere hope  that  I  shall  meet  them  personally  at  an  early  official  visit  to  Chi- 
cago. Very  truly  yours,  T.  S.  Clarkson,  Commander-in-Chief." 

The  election  of  officers  of  the  association  then  followed,  resulting  in  the 
election  of:  Comrade  Martin  A.  Bartleson,  President;  Dr.  Allen  W.  Gray, 
Vice  President;  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary;  J.  H.  Long,  Treasurer;  E.  H. 
Rexford,  Musical  Director.  These  five  comrades  also  constitute  the  di- 
rectory. A  fine  musical  program  was  rendered  by  Comrade  Rexford,  as- 
sisted by  his  daughter  Laura,  Miss  Sarah  M.  Kimbell,  daughter  of  C.  B. 
Kimbell:  and  Mrs.  Pratt,  sister  of  Enoch  Colby,  interspersed  with  songs, 
less  classical  but  fully  as  musical  to  the  old  boys,  by  the  boys  themselves.  A 
photographer  was  present  and  took  pictures  of  a  group  of  the  boys  on  the 
porch  and  lawn,  and  one  of  the  boys  and  their  families.  The  meeting  then 
adjourned  subject  to  the  call  of  the  officers. 

The  eleventh  annual  reunion  occurred  at  the  L'nion  League  Club,  Chi- 
cago, Oct.  i,  1897,  beginning  at  5  p.  m.  Lunch  was  served  at  6  p.  m..  after 
which  the  business  meeting  was  held.  Twenty-nine  members  were  present, 
viz..  J.  H.  Long,  A.  W.  Gray,  Ed.  Baggot,  C.  B.  Kimbell,  S.  S.  Kimbell, 


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HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/I"  309 

George  M.  Brown,  \\T.  H.  Young,  W.  H.  Bailey,  A.  W.  Pendleton,  Har- 
rison Kelley,  Enoch  Colby  Jr,  W.  L.  Southworth,  Henry  Burdick,  Fred  B. 
Leavitt,  W.  E.  Stockton,  W.  H.  Renfro,  W.  E.  Beecham,  Charles  E.  Clark, 
W.  R.  Page,  P.  P.  Powell,  Ed.  Mendsen,  John  Steele,  Wm.  Lowe,  C.  W. 
Poole,  O.  C.  Foster,  F.  V.  Gindele,  John  D.  Dyer,  E.  H.  Rexford  and  W.  H. 
Johnson.  President  Comrade  Bartleson  being  absent  on  account  of  a 
serious  accident,  Comrade  A.  W.  Gray,  Vice  President,  presided.  The  roll 
of  all  members  was  called  by  the  Secretary.  The  minutes  of  the  last  annual 
meeting  were  read  and  approved,  as  were  also  the  reports  of  the  Treasurer 
and  Directors.  Cards  of  regret  were  read  from  W.  H.  Cowlin,  of  Wood- 
stock, "prevented  by  sickness;"  T.  S.  Clarkson,  Omaha,  "prevented  by  offi- 
cial business;"  C.  L.  Church,  Wellington,  Ohio,  "kind  remembrances;"  Ed- 
ward Johnson,  National  Soldiers'  Home,  Leavenworth,  "best  wishes;"  J. 
P.  Brown,  Florin,  Cal.,-"too  much  labor;"  Moses  Hawks,  Phenix,  N.  Y., 
"poor  health;"  M.  A.  Bartleson,  Utica,  X".  Y.,  "injury  from  accident;"  E.  S. 
Hills,  Atlanta,  Ga. ;  Wm.  Taylor,  Chicago.  Letters  were  read  from  C.  C. 
Briggs,  Pittsburg;  S.  H.  Tallmadge.  Milwaukee;  Xathan  T.  Cox,  Denver; 
M.  A.  Chittenden,  Atchison.  Kan.;  C.  L.  Arnold,  Chicago;  George  A.  Pratt, 
Ft.  Atkinson,  Wis.:  W.  B.  Phillips,  Marion,  Ohio;  Ed  E.  Williams.  New 
York;  E.  P.  Fish,  Pueblo,  Colo.;  Wm.  Furness,  Ogdcnsburg,  N.  Y.;  F.  A. 
Emory,  Magnolia,  Ya.  ;J.  T.  Connell,  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  J.  N.  Sherman, 
.Soldiers'  Home,  Quincy,  111.;  John  B.  Day,  Bedford,  N.  Y. ;  H.  E.  Brewster, 
Marlboro.  N.  H.;  Meric  Gould,  Brest,  Mich.;  A.  C.  Hall,  Des  Moines. 
Iowa.  A  memorial  on  the  death  of  Comrade  Julius  W.  Kimbell  was  offered 
by  Comrade  W.  E.  Stockton  and  adopted  unanimously  by  a  rising  vote. 
{The  memorial  is  found  in  his  biography.) 

Officers  for  the  ensuing  year  were  elected,  with  Dr.  A.  W.  Gray,  C.  B. 
Kimbell,  C.  W.  Poole,  J.  H.  Long  and  E.  H.  Rexford  as  Directors.  The 
Directors  met  and  elected:  A.  W.  Gray,  President;  C.  W.  Poole,  Vice  Presi- 
dent; J.  H.  Long,  Treasurer;  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary;  E.  H.  Rexford,  Mu- 
sical Director.  The  bugle  calls  were  given  by  Comrade  Rexford,  with  all 
his  usual  vigor  and  old-time  skill.  Excellent  music  was  furnished  by  Miss 
Laura  Rexford  and  Miss  Bacon.  The  meeting  then  adjourned  for  one  year. 

The  twelfth  reunion  was  held  in  Hinsdale,  a  beautiful  suburb  of  Chi- 
cago, at  the  home  of  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Sept.  10,  1898.  The  Hinsdale  Doings, 
the  local  paper,  published  an  account  of  it.  which  is  given  in  full  below: 


310  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY 


VETERANS  GATHERED  AGAIN. 


Battery  "A"  Remembers  the  Battles  of  1861-5  at  C.  B.  Kimbell's. — Magnifi- 
cent Entertainment  Enjoyed  by  the  Soldiers  and  Their  Families — Spe- 
cial Cars  Provided — The  Fun. 


Probably  no  other  village  in  this  State  was  so  aglow  with  evidences  of 
earnest  patriotism  last  Saturday  as  was  Hinsdale.  In  addition  to  the  royal 
reception  accorded  by  the  entire  people  of  this  vicinity,  to  the  returning 
Naval  Reserve  Corps,  the  surviving  veterans  of  the  famous  Battery  "A," 
Chicago  Light  Artillery,  of  1861  to  1865,  held  their  twelfth  annual  reunion, 
with  their  wives  and  families,  at  the  pleasant  home  of  C.  B.  Kimbell,  who, 
with  two  brothers,  were  members  of  that  battery  during  the  civil  war.  Up- 
wards of  one  hundred  and  fifty  were  present,  among  them  being  several  of 
deceased  members'  families,  and  a  livelier,  pleasanter  time  could  not  have 
been  had.  The  commodious  grounds  and  all  the  buildings  were  profusely 
and  tastefully  decorated  with  flags  and  bunting.  An  immense  flag  was  hung 
across  Elm  street,  in  front  of  the  house,  and  a  large  white  banner  was 
stretched  over  the  front  of  the  lawn  with  a  red  border  and  blue  letters,  in- 
scribed, "Welcome  Battery  'A'  Veterans."  An  immense  tent  on  the  lawn 
covered  tables  fifty-four  feet  long,  set  to  form  the  letter  "A."  These  were 
loaded  with  toothsome  viands,  to  which  all  did  ample  justice,  as  the  cool, 
crisp  air  was  very  conducive  to  a  keen  appetite,  and  the  "old  boys"  demon- 
strated their  ability  in  that  direction  as  well  as  when  they  were  thirty-seven 
years  younger  and  had  better  teeth  than  they  now  have. 

George  Bohlander's  orchestra  perched  up  in  the  barn  balcony,  covered 
with  woodbine  and  draped  with  bunting,  furnished  patriotic  airs  during  the 
forenoon  and  until  after  dinner,  when  he  was  ordered  by  the  young  people 
to  "come  down  off  his  perch"  to  the  first  floor,  which  had  been  covered  with 
canvas  and  prepared  for  dancing,  and  they  kept  things  lively  and  warm  for 
about  three  hours.  Many  of  the  older  ones  declared  they  had  not  seen 
dancing  "on  the  old  barn  floor"  for  forty  years,  and  the  seats  were  filled  with 
amused  spectators  of  the  young  folks'  antics. 

From  12:30  to  1 130  p.  m.  was  occupied  in  disposing  of  the  picnic  dinner, 
which  was  announced  by  ringing  the  old  farm  bell,  and  the  sounding  of 
"Grub  'Call"  by  E.  H.  Rexford,  the  battery  bugler,  on  his  old  war  bugle.  All 
the  old  battery  calls  were  blown  by  him,  at  intervals  during  the  day,  and  the 
stirring  notes  awakened  memories  of  war  days  in  the  hearts  of  the  old  vet- 
erans. After  dinner  the  business  meeting  of  the  veterans'  association  was 
held  under  the  tent,  all  remaining  seated  at  the  tables.  The  first  thing  after 
being  called  to  order,  Comrade  W.  E.  Stockton  offered  a  resolution,  ex- 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "/4."  3ll 

tending  greetings  and  congratulations  to  the  young  soldiers  of  the  Naval 
Reserve  Corps  on  their  safe  return  home,  and  thanking  them  for  the  splen- 
did record  they  had  made  during  their  short  term  of  service.  In  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  courtesy  the  entire  procession,  with  their  martial  band  of 
eighteen  pieces,  paraded  past  the  grounds,  halting  for  fifteen  minutes  in 
front.  The  veterans  lined  up  on  the  pavement  and  their  families  formed  a 
background  on  the  grass  plat  and  sidewalk.  The  scene  was  very  effective 
and  touching.  President  Dr.  A.  W.  Gray,  in  behalf  of  the  veterans,  made  a 
short  and  stirring  address  of  welcome  to  the  naval  boys,  who  were  seated  in 
carriages  directly  in  front  of  the  veterans.  The  band  played  "America"  and 
the  "Star  Spangled  Banner,"  and  all  joined  in  singing  one  verse  of  "Amer- 
ica," when  the  whole  procession  passed  on  amid  cheers  in  review  of  the 
battery  veterans. 

The  whole  affair  was  a  pleasant  and  unexpected  feature,  and  one  never 
to  be  forgotten.  The  roll  of  the  entire  battery  was  called,  first  of  the  sur- 
vivors, then  of  those  who  had  passed  away.  The  total  number  of  enlistments 
from  the  beginning  to  the  closing  of  the  war,  including  fifty  that  served  for 
three  months  only,  was  262.  Survivors  known  at  this  date,  115.  Killed, 
dead  and  missing,  147.  Many  that  served  three  months  only  in  this  battery, 
served  with  distinction  in  other  commands  through  the  war.  Most  of  the 
members  of  the  battery  have  made  as  good  records  in  their  various  lines 
since  the  war  as  they  did  during  the  war,  and  have  been  prominent  in  busi- 
ness, professional  and  political  circles.  Ex-Congressman  George  E.  Adams, 
of  Chicago;  General  Thad.  S.  Clarkson,  ex-postmaster  of  Omaha  and  Past 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  G.  A.  R..  Col.  J.  H.  Page,  of  the  Third  United 
States  Infantry,  now  at  Santiago,  and  many  of  the  leading  and  successful 
business  men  of  Chicago  were  members  of  this  battery.  The  Directors' 
report  showed  the  finances  of  the  association  to  be  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
Permanent  badges  of  a  neat  and  tasty  design  had  been  procured  and 
were  worn  for  the  first  time  on  this  occasion. 

The  Directors'  report,  as  follows,  for  1897-8  was  read  and  approved: 
"Since  our  last  annual  meeting,  your  Directors  have  had  little  to  do  except 
to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  the  members  at  that  meeting.  A  beautiful 
granite  headstone  in  memory  of  Comrade  Lewis  F.  Jacobs  was  erected  on 
the  battery  lot  at  Rose  Hill.  It  was  inscribed  with  his  name  and  "Noble 
Patriot,  Brave  Soldier,  True  Friend."  We  have  also  supplied  the  permanent 
badges,  which  we  trust  will  be  satisfactory,  as  they  were  to  all  with  whom  we 
had  an  opportunity  of  consulting.  In  the  matter  of  government  headstones 
for  those  buried  in  our  lot,  little  has  been  done,  owing  to  difficulty  in  ob- 
taining definite,  correct  data  in  regard  to  the  names  and  number  buried 
there.  We  would  recommend  that  the  new  Board  of  Directors  take  the 
matter  in  hand  and  do  the  best  they  can  during  the  coming  year  to  get  it 


312  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY 


finished  up.  The  final  payment  on  the  Lewis  Jacobs  lot  has  been  made 
and  the  money  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Treasurer.  One  of  our  members, 
George  King,  passed  away  at  Elgin,  111.,  Thursday,  July  14,  1898.  Owing  to 
the  shortness  of  the  time  of  receiving  notice  of  it,  none  of  our  members  were 
present." 

The  following  resolutions  on  the  death  of  Comrade  George  King,  who 
died  in  Elgin  last  July,  and  of  honorary  member  John  L.  Stockton,  who  died 
in  Chicago,  were  passed  by  a  rising  vote: 

"It  is  our  sorrowful  duty  to  announce  the  passing  away  of  one  of  our 
loved  and  honorary  members,  John  L.  Stockton,  brother  of  Comrade  Wm. 
E.  Stockton.  His  death  occurred  at  his  home  in  Chicago,  Oct.  31,  1897. 
Of  delicate  physical  frame,  he  was  incapacitated  from  entering  active  service 
in  the  army,  but  his  patriotism  was  proved  beyond  a  question  by  his  untiring 
zeal  and  devotion  to  the  care  and  comfort  of  the  soldiers  in  the  field,  espe- 
cially the  sick  and  wounded  of  our  battery.  He  was  the  most  active  in 
keeping  up  the  home  organization  of  our  battery  during  the  war,  and  none 
of  our  sick  and  wounded  reached  the  city  without  being  under  his  watchful 
care,  and  several  times  he  visited  us  while  in  the  field,  bringing  things  of 
comfort  and  words  of  cheer.  He  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  securing  the 
necessary  funds  for  the  erecting  of  our  beautiful  monument  at  Rose  Hill, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  helpful  members  of  the  Monument  Com- 
mittee. His  memory  will  ever  remain  as  bright  with  us  as  the  flowers  that 
blossom  over  his  silent  grave. 

"\Ye  are  called  upon  to  mourn  the  death  of  one  whose  name  revives 
memories  of  all  that  went  to  make  camp  life  more  endurable  and  to  brighten 
and  cheer  the  hard  lot  of  the  soldier. 

"Comrade  George  King  died  at  his  home  in  Elgin  on  Thursday,  July 
14  last  (1898). 

"We  knew  him  as  a  brave  and  gallant  soldier,  one  of  the  most  active 
and  untiring  men  in  the  battery.  Kind  and  generous  to  his  comrades,  and 
one  of  the  most  proficient  in  the  drill,  not  only  in  the  battery  but  in  the 
'manual  of  arms,'  probably,  in  the  corps  to  which  we  were  attached.  Who 
does  not  remember  how  he  won  honor  for  the  battery  by  defeating  the  best- 
drilled  infantryman  the  division  afforded?  The  following  notice  is  taken 
from  Comrade  Wm.  H.  Cowlin's  paper,  and  fitly  expresses  what  we  all  feel: 
'Tlie  death  of  an  old  comrade,  even  so  many  years  after  the  war,  who 
has  touched  elbows  with  us  in  the  ranks,  or  who  has  marched  or  rode  by  our 
side  over  countless  miles  of  country,  being  with  us  in  battle  and  in  camp, 
sharing  all  the  hardships  and  vicissitudes  of  war,  cannot  but  help  to  carry 
sadness  and  sorrow,  though  we  may  not  have  met  that  old  comrade  since 
the  close  of  the  war. 


Ill  STORY  OF  BATTERY  "/I.*1  3l3 

"  'The  Elgin  Courier  of  July  15,  a  marked  copy  of  which  we  recently 
received,  contained  this  announcement: 

"  *  ''George  King  died,  Thursday  evening,  at  his  home,  323  Orange 
street,  aged  sixty-two  years.  He  was  born  at  Niagara  Falls,  and  had  been  a 
resident  of  this  State  thirty-six  years.  He  was  formerly  an  employe  of  the 
gas  company,  and  had  recently  been  janitor  of  a  school  building." 

"  'Comrade  King  was  .an  exceptionally  good  soldier,  brave  and  true  as 
steel.  He  served  three  years  in  our  company — A,  Chicago  Light  Artillery — 
and  was  with  our  battery  on  all  its  long  and  weary  marches,  in  every  battle 
from  its  first.  Fort  Donelson  and  Shiloh,  to  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Ga.,  in  the 
summer  of  1864,  when  his  term  of  service  expired.  He  marched  thousands 
of  miles  and  was  carried  by  steamboat  other  thousands,  participated  in 
eighteen  battles  and  dozens  of  skirmishes,  always  ready  and  willing  for  any 
and  every  kind  of  hazardous  and  hard  service.  He  was  admired  for  his 
soldierly  bearing  and  kind  and  genial  companionship  by  every  officer  and 
man  in  the  battery.  There  was  no  better  soldier — there  could  not  be — hence 
we  regret  and  are  sad  to  hear  that  he  has  been  summoned  to  join  the  silent 
majority,  and  our  sympathies  are  extended  to  the  sorrowing  wife  and  family 
of  our  deceased  comrade.' ' 

Letters  and  cards  of  regret  were  read  from  absent  members,  their  ad- 
dresses showing  how  widely  they  had  separated  since  the  war.  They  were 
from  New  Hampshire,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Georgia. 
Tennessee,  Michigan,  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Colorado, 
Washington,  New  Mexico,  Towa  and  California. 

The  business  meeting  closed  after  electing  as  officers  for  the  ensuing 
year:  President,  C.  W.  Poole,  of  Lawndale;  Vice  President,  W.  H.  Young; 
Treasurer,  J.  H.  Long.  Chicago:  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell.  Hinsdale;  Mu- 
sical Director,  E.  H.  Rexford,  Blue  Island.  After  an  hour  spent  in  five- 
minute  entertaining  talks  by  the  members  and  a  few  invited  guests,  among 
whom  was  Mr.  C.  F.  Elliott,  came  the  contest  and  award  of  prizes.  For  the 
oldest  member  present,  John  Shaffer,  of  Chicago,  aged  74,  captured  a  silver 
mounted  hickory  cane,  cut  from  the  battlefield  of  Shiloh.  The  youngest 
member  present,  P.  P.  Powell,  of  Winfield,  Kansas,  took  a  silver-plated 
bugle.  For  the  member  present  with  the  largest  family.  Mr.  C.  B.  Kimbell 
showing  up  with  eleven  was  awarded  the  first  prize,  which  he  at  first  de- 
clined to  receive,  being  the  host  for  the  occasion,  but  his  objections  were 
overruled  and  he  was  forced  to  accept.  The  prize  was  a  beautiful  small  silk 
flag,  representing  the  "banner"  family  member.  The  member  with  the 
smallest  family,  George  M.  Brown,  of  Conneaut,  Ohio,  who  is  a  happy  old 


314  HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A." 

bachelor,  captured  a  small  steel  toy  cannon.  The  awarding  of  prizes  occa- 
sioned much  merriment. 

Fine  music  was  rendered  by  some  of  the  veterans'  daughters,  among 
them  Miss  Laura  Rexford  and  Miss  Sarah  M.  Kimbell.  A  hearty  and 
unanimous  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  for  the  entire  Kimbell  family  for  their 
work  and  efforts  in  furnishing  so  successful  an  entertainment.  The  5  o'clock 
train,  with  two  special  cars,  carried  the  entire  party  back  to  the  city,  all  de- 
claring they  would  ever  remember  the  day  spent  in  "beautiful  Hinsdale." 

The  battery  veterans  who  were  present  were:  Wm.  E.  Stockton,  Ev- 
anston;  Dr.  A.  W.  Gray,  Chicago;  C.  W.  Poole,  Lawndale;  E.  Colby  Jr., 
Chicago.;  W.  H.  Renfro,  Blue  Island;  Wm.  Lowe,  Chicago;  E.  H.  Rex- 
ford,  Blue  Island;  G.  M.  Brown,  Conneaut,  Ohio;  John  Shaffer,  Chicago; 
S.  S.  Kimbell,  Chicago;  W.  E.  Beecham,  Chicago;  Charles  E.  Clark,  Chi- 
cago; Olof  Benson,  Chicago;  W.  L.  Southworth,  W.  H.  Young,  Chicago; 
J.  D.  Dyer,  Ravenswood;  W.  H.  Bailey,  Chicago;  Edward  Hughes,  Chi- 
cago; P.  P.  Powell,  Winfield,  Kan.;  H.  S.  Foote,  Milwaukee;  S.  H.  Tall- 
madge,  Milwaukee;  Ed.  Mendsen,  Evanston;  Harrison  Kelley,  Chicago; 
George  A.  Pratt,  Ft.  Atkinson,  Wis. 

The  veteran  guests  were  Rev.  C.  F.  Elliott,  cavalry;  Abe  Harris,  Mer- 
cantile Battery;  Ed.  Simons,  Mercantile  Battery;  A.  H.  Townsend,  Hins- 
dale; Colonel  W.  B.  Keeler;  Henry  M.  Matthews,  Chicago. 


\*  * 

<sa 


HfSTOR  Y  OF  BA  TTER  Y  "A. "  3 1 5 


HONORARY  MEMBERS 

Of  Battery  "A"  Chicago  Light  Artillery  Veteran  Association. 

M.  N.  Kimbell  Sr.,  Maplewood,  111. Elected  July  28,  1886;  died  Feb.  13,  1895 
John  L.  Stockton,  Chicago,  111. .  .  .Elected  July  28,  1886;  died  Oct.  31,  1897 

John  Alston,  Chicago,  111 Elected  Oct.  4,  1887 

George  Anderson,  Chicago,  111.  . .  .Elected  Oct.  4,  1887;  died  October,  1887 

M.  N.  Kimbell,  Jr.,  admitted  Oct.  4,  1888. 

John  F.  Powell,  Waukegan,  admitted  Oct.  4,  1888. 


SONS  OF  VETERANS 

Admitted  to  Membership. 

John  Schaffer  Jr.,  son  of  John  Schaffer,  Chicago,  admitted  July  28,  1886. 
Ethan  A.  Gray,  son  of  Allen  W.  Gray,  Chicago,  admitted  July  28,  1886. 
George  T.  Phillips,  son  of  Jas.  Phillips,  Chicago,  admitted  July  28,  1886. 
Jas.  E.  Baggot,  son  of  Ed.  Baggot,  Chicago,  admitted  July  28,  1886. 
Richard  L.  Powell,  son  of  Thos.  Powell,  Chicago,  admitted  July  28,  1886. 
Henry  King,  son  of  Geo.  King,  Elgin,  111.,  admitted  October  4,  1887. 
Sherman  T.  Kimbell,  son  of  C.  B.  Kimbell,  admitted  Oct.  4,  1887. 
Louis  A.  Gray,  son  of  Allen  W.  Gray,  Chicago,  admitted  Oct.  4,  1887. 
Walter  K.  Clark,  son  of  E.  D.  Clark,  admitted  Aug.  26,  li 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

History  of  early  organization  of  the  Battery   9 

Battery  responds  to  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  troops 10 

Battery  leaving  Chicago  for  the  front 13 

Roster  of  Company  in  three  months'  service  14 

Arrival  of  Battery  at  Cairo  and  occupation  of  the  City 16 

Capture  of  steamer  "Baltic,"  '  'First  shot  of  the  war" 19 

Capture  of  steamer  "C.  E.  Hillman" 19 

Occupation  of  "Camp  Smith" 19 

Expedition  to  Mexico,  Missouri 20 

Battery  "Home  Association"  organized 20 

Re-enlistment  of  Battery  for  three  years 20 

Presentation  of  flag  to  Battery  by  Miss  Katie  Sturges 25 


CHAPTER  II. 

Battery  mustered  into  U.  S.  service 23 

Number  of  enlistments  in  Battery 23 

Roster  of  three  years  members  of  Battery 24 

Battery  left  Cairo  and  occupied  Paducah,  Ky 35 

Expedition  making  feint  on  Columbus,  Ky 35 

<lCalloway  March"  Expedition 36 

Raid  on  Mayfield,  Ky 36 

First  Deaths  in  Battery 36 

Incidents  in  camp  at  Paducah,  Ky 36 

First  regulation  uniforms  received 37 

316 


CHAPTER  II.— CONTINUED. 

I'AGE. 

] departure  from  Paducah 

Capture  of  Fort  Heiman _  ?7 

March  to  Fort  Donelson  and  first  battle 38 

Chicago  Board  of  Trade  sends  vote  of  thanks  to  Battery 39 

Left  Fort  Heiman  for  advance  up  Tennessee  River 40 

Arrival  at  Crump's  Landing  and  advance  to  Pittsbug  Landing 40 

Battle  of  Shiloh 40 

Captain  Wood's  official  report  of  battle  of  Shiloh 46 

Stand  of  colors  presented  by  "Friends  at  Home" 48 

Battery  held  in  reserve  at  Pea  Ridge 49 

Capture  of  W.  M.  Pratt  at  Pea  Ridge 49 

March  from  Pea  Ridge  to  Memphis 50 

Occupation  of  Memphis 51 

Incidents  in  camp  at  Memphis . 51 

Departure  from  Memphis  in  advance  on  Vicksburg 55 

Captain  Wood's  official  report  of  advance  on  Vicksburg 55 

Battle  of  Chickasaw  Bayou 56 

Advance  up  Arkansas  River  to  Arkansas  Post 59 

Captain  Wood's  official  report  of  battle  of  Arkansas  Post 60 

Incidents  of  battle  of  Arkansas  Post 61 

Batten-  moved  to  Young's  Point 62 

Expedition  up  Sunflower  River  and  Black  Bayou 62 

Expedition  up  the  Yazoo 62 

Battle  of  Champion  Hills o2 

Siege  of  Vicksburg o3 

March  from  Vicksburg  to  Jackson,  Mississippi 64 

Siege  of  Jackson,  Mississippi 64 

Capture  of  eight  men,  and  story  of  their  captivity 64 

Exciting  episode  to  Squad  I  during  siege  of  Jackson 70 

From  Jackson  to  Big  Black 71 

Advance  on  Chattanooga 71 

Occupation  of  Missionary  Ridge 71 

Battery  noved  to  Bellfont,  Alabama 72 

In  winter  camp  at  Larkinsville,  Alabama 72 

"  Larvinsville  Theatre  Company"  organized 76 

Loss  of  Battery  "mascot" 80 

Leaving  camp  at  Larkinsville 82 

Start  for  Chattanooga  on  Atlanta  Campaign 82 

Fight  at  Resaca 83 

From  Resaca  to  Kenesaw  Mountain 84 

Letters  of  Geo.  Gates  and  General  W.  T.  Sherman 85 

Return  of  three  years  men  at  expiration  of  term  of  service 86 

Consolidation  of  Batteries  "A"  and  '  B" 86 

Advance  on  Atlanta 86 

Battle  of  Atlanta 87 

List  of  captured  and  killed  at  Atlanta 87 

Battle  of  Jonesborough 87 

Surrender  of  Atlanta 88 

Last  months  of  service  at  Chattanooga 88 

Return  home  and  welcomed  by  friends 88 

Condensed  Battery's  Record 89 

317 

m!" 


CHAPTER  III. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  PORTRAITS 

PAGE  PAGE 

Captain  James  Smith 91  92 

Allen,  Frank  S 93  

Arnold,  Charles  L 95  94 

Adams,  Abbott  L 97  — 

Adams,  George  E 97  98 

Benson,  Olof 97  100 

Baggot,  Edward 101  102 

Brewster,  Henry  E 103  104 

Brown,  John  P 10?  106 

Bailey,  William  H 103 108 

Briggs,  Charles  C 105  1 10 

Brown,  George  M 105  112 

Bartleson,  Martin  A 107  114 

Briggs,  Jerome  P 109  116 

Butterfield,  Samuel  W 109  118 

Botsford,  John  R I  => 

Burdick,  Henry  Ill  120 

Clingman,  Jacob 113  122 

Clark,  Edwin  D 113  1 24 

Claike,  JohnH 115  

Clark,  Charles  E 117 

Cox,  Nathan  T 117  126 

Chase,  Horace  W 119  128 

Chittenden,  Morris  A 121  130 

Cowlin,  William  H   123  132 

Connell,  John  T 127  134 

Connell,  Mrs.  John  T 136 

Clarkson.Thaddeus  S 129  138 

Crocker,  James  F 131  

Cooper,  George 131  

Colby,  Enoch  Jr. 133  140 

Dyer,  John  D 133  142 

Dusenberry,  James  M 135  

Dixson,  Albert 135  144 

Dutch.  James  B , 137  146 

Day,  John  B 137  

Eastwood,  James  G 137  148 

Emory,  Fred  A 139  

Farnham,  Daniel  R 141  

Follansbee,  William  P 141  150 

Foster,  Orrington  C 1 43  

Furness,  William 145  

Fish,  Edward  P 145 152 

Gindele   Ferdinand  V 147 154 

Gould,  Meric 149  1 56 

Gray,  Allen  W 149  1 58 

Hall,  Adam  C 151 160 

Handy,  Henry  H 162 

Hills,  Edward  S 1 55  164 

Hoffman,  Hoxie  L 155  166 

Hawks,  Moses 157  168 

318 


CHAPTER  111.— CONTINUED. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  PORTRAITS 

PAGE  PAGE 

Hughes,  Edward <. 157 1 70 

Johnson,  Edward •. 1 59     1 72 

Jacobs,  Lewis  F 159     174 

Johnson,  Wm.  H 161     176 

Kantz'er,  Fred  M 163     

Kelley,  Harrison    163     178 

Kendall,  Cornelius  165     180 

Kennedy,  Theo.  W 165     182 

Kennedy,  Sampson    167 184 

Kinzie,  Arthur  M 1 67     

King,  George    169     186 

Kimbell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  N 169     ;.....  188 

Kimbell,  Chas.  B 173     100 

Kimbell  Julius  W 177     192 

Kimbell,  Spencer  S 181     194 

Leavitt,  Fred  B 183     196 

Long,  Jas.  Henry  183     198 

Lowe,  William 185     260 

Lamb,   Charles  A 185 202 

Morgan,  Francis 187     204 

McKnight,  Thos.  A 189     

McCagg.  George 189     206 

Milner,  Jas.  W 191      208 

Mendsen,  Edward 193     210 

Mitchell,  Lewis  B 195     212 

Morgan,  Harry    214 

Nelson,  Conant  C 195     216 

Pendleton,  Alfred  W 197     218 

Phillips,  James 197     220 

Pitts,  Aurelius  V 199     222 

Page,  William  R 201      _ 

Page,  John  H 203     — 

Powell,  Jeremiah  D 205     224 

Peters,  John  M 207     

Pratt,  George  A 207     226 

Powell,  Perry  P 209     

Pease,  Stephen  N 211     228 

Pond,  Henry  H 2 1 1      230 

Phillips,  Wm.  B 213     ; 

Paddock,  James  0 213     

Poole,  Charles  W : . . .   21  =>     232 

Risley,  Harvey  B 215     234 

Rice,  William  O 221     

Roberts,  Harrison 22 1     236 

Rexford,  Roscoe  E 223     

Rexford,  Everett  H 223     238 

Rumsey,  John  W 227     240 

Renfro,  Wm.  H 242 

Sherman,  Jeremiah  N 229     244 

Steele,  John 229     246 

Stewart,  Adam 229     

319 


CHAPTER  III.— CONTINUED. 

BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  PORTRAITS 

PAGE  PA<;E 

Slosser,  Mac 231  

Scott,  George  M 23 1  248 

Smith,  Charles  E 233  

Shrigley,  James  H 235  250 

Stiger,  Silas  C 235  252 

South-worth,  Wm.  L 237  254 

Schaffer,  John 237  

Stockton,  Wm.  E 239  256 

Tack,  John 268 

Tobey.EdgarP 239  364 

Tallmadge,  Sam.  H 241  266 

Vernon,  Wm.  B 243  

Whitson,  Frederick  0 243  270 

Willard,  Charles  M 245  272 

Williams,  Edward  E 245  77 

Wood,  Peter  P 247  274 

Wilcox,  Thomas 253  276 

Young,  William  H 253  278 

Young,  Fred  W 280 

Wilcox,  Edward  P —  .282 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE 

Officers  of  Battery  Veteran  Association 257 

First  Reunion    259 

Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  Association 265 

Second  Reunion 279 

Third  Reunion 285 

Fourth  Reunion v 286 

Fifth  Reunion , 289 

Sixth  Reunion 291 

Seventh  Reunion 292 

New  Constitution  and  By-Laws 294 

Eighth  Reunion 297 

Ninth  Reunion 301 

Tenth  Reunion 304 

Eleventh  Reunion 3C6 

Twelfth  Reunion 309 

List  of  Honorary  Members 315 

List  of  Sons  of  Veterans  Members 315 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

MONUMENT.  FRONTISPIECE. 

View  of  Camp  Smith II 

View  ' '  In  Battery,"  Camp  Smith 17 

Gun  Squad,  Camp  Smith 21 

Dining  Hall,  Camp  Smith 25 

Battle  of  Chickasaw  Bayou 57 

History  of  Pitt's  Laurel  Root  Gun 73 

Group  First  Reunion 262 

Group  Eighth  Reunion 299 

Group  Tenth  Reunion 307 

320 


—321— 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  "A" 


The  sixteenth  annual  reunion  of  Battery  "A,"  First  Illinois  Light 
Artillery  Veteran  Association,  was  held  in  Kimbell  Hall,  1527 
Kimbell  avenue,  Chicago,  Saturday,  September  6,  1902.  It  being 
the  forty-first  anniversary  of  the  battery's  leaving  Cairo,  where  we 
had  been  stationed  the  first  four  and  a  half  months  of  the  war,  and 
occupying  Paducah,  Ky.,  where  we  remained  about  five  months, 
added  a  special  interest  to  the  meeting  to  all  of  the  original  members 
of  the  battery  present. 

A  beautiful  Fall  day,  an  attendance  of  eighteen  veterans  of  the 
battery,  with  more  than  sixty  members  of  their  families  and  a  few 
invited  neighboring  veteran  comrades,  all  combined  to  furnish  a 
very  pleasant  and  enjoyable  occasion.  The  hall  and  dining-room 
were  profusely  and  appropriately  decorated  with  flags,  bunting  and 
flowers,  and  all  present  entered  into  the  enjoyment  of  the  occasion 
with  hearty  spirit  and  good  cheer.  The  meeting  was  called  for  12 
o'clock  noon  and  continued  till  nearly  6  o'clock  p.  M.  The  President 
of  the  Association,  W.  L.  Southworth,  presided,  and  the  following 
members  registered,  all  of  Chicago,  unless  otherwise  indicated : 
Edward  Hughes,  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Enoch  Colby,  Barrington,  111. ;  W. 
H.  Bailey,  Wm.  L.  Southworth,  E.  H.  Rexford.  Blue  Island,  111.; 
S.  S.  Kimbell,  W.  E.  Beecham,  A.  W.  Gray,  John  D.  Dyer,  P.  P. 
Powell,  David  Butts,  Momence,  111. ;  John  Schaffer,  W.  H.  Renfro, 
Mine  Island,  111.;  Fred  B.  Leavitt,  Austin,  111.;  Geo.  M.  Brown, 
Conneaut,  O. ;  Olof  Benson  and  W.  E.  Stockton,  Evanston,  111. 
The  ^widows  and  relatives  of  our  deceased  comrades  A.  V.  Pitts, 
Jacob  Clingman,  J.  W.  Kimbell,  Geo.  King  and  Jerome  P.  Briggs 
were  also  present.  After,  the  roll  call  the  minutes  of  the  fifteenth 
annual  reunion,  which  follow,  were  read  and  approved : 

"The  fifteenth  annual  reunion  of  Battery  '"A,"  C.  L.  A.  Veteran 
Association,  took  place  September  7,  1901,  at  Kimbell  Hall,  Chicago. 
President  Wm.  H.  Young  presided.  The  following  members  were 
present  and  registered:  Edwd.  Mendsen,  C.  B.  Kimbell,  W.  H. 
Bailey,  Wm.  Lowe,  Edwd.  Hughes,  John  D.  Dyer.  Enoch  Colby,  Jr., 
W.  E.  Beecham,  Thos.  McKnight,  S.  S.  Kimbell,  E.  H.  Rexford, 
W.  L.  Southworth,  John  Schaffer,  W.  H.  Young,  David  Butts,  A. 
W.  Gray,  Henry  Burdick,  W.  H.  Renfro,  C.  J.  Sauter,  John  Steele, 
J.  H.  Long;  total,  21.  Fifty-six  members  of  families  of  the  comrades 
were  also  present.  A  picnic  dinner  was  served  and  good  fellowship 
prevailed  throughout  the  entire  meeting,  with  plenty  of  music  and 
some  dancing.  The  business  meeting  was  held  at  3  o'clock.  The 


—322— 

attempted  assassination  of  our  noble  President,  Comrade  William 
McKinley,  at  Buffalo  yesterday,  was  denounced  in  strongest  terms 
by  many  of  the  comrades,  and  the  following  preamble  and  resolution 
was  unanimously  adopted  by  a  rising  vote :  "For  the  third  time 
within  the  memory  of  the  veterans  of  the  Civil  War  we  are  dum- 
founded  by  the  startling  intelligence  of  the  attempted  assassination  of 
our  nation's  Chief.  As  long  as  our  government  sanctions  the  form- 
ing and  continuing  of  anarchistic  societies,  which  are  boldly  and 
brazenly  announced  and  published  in  the  daily  press,  just  so  long 
may  such  events  as  occurred  yesterday  be  expected.  The  life  of  one 
such  man  as  our  noble  President  is  worth  more  to  our  nation  than 
all  the  ignorant,  bristle-haired  anarchists  that  could  be  stowed  in 
a  line  of  emigrant  steamers  reaching  from  Liverpool  to  New  York. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  people  of  this  enlightened  nation  will  now 
arouse  themselves  to  a  proper  appreciation  of  this  most  vital  question. 
Resolved,  .that  the  Secretary  be  directed  to  forward  the  following 
message  of  sympathy : 

"CHICAGO,  Sept.  7,  1901. 
"To  Mrs.  Wm.  McKinley,  Washington,  D.  C.: 

"The  veterans  of  Battery  "A,"  First  Illinois  Artillery,  assembled 
in  annual  reunion,  deplore  with  horror  the  attempt  by  a  miserable, 
worthless  anarchist  to  assassinate  our  noble  President.  We  hereby 
extend  our  profound  sympathy  to  you  and  him  in  this  terrible  national 
calamity,  and  in  unison  with  the  entire  people  of  our  nation  will 
fervently  pray  that  he  may  be  spared  for  the  long  life  of  usefulness 
he  is  so  ably  qualified  to  fill. 

(Signed)     BATTERY  'A/  C.  L.  A.  VETERAN  ASSN. 
C.  B.  KIMBELL,  Secy." 

Letters  of  regret  were  read  from  many  of  the  absent  comrades. 
The  reports  of  the  Treasurer  and  of  the  Executive  Committee  were 
received  and  ordered  placed  on  file.  A  communication  from  Comrade 
E.  D.  Rowland  regarding  the  publishing  of  a  second  volume  of  Bat- 
tery history  and  offering  some  valuable  suggestions,  was  informally 
discussed  and  the  Secretary  was  instructed  to  communicate  with  all 
the  members  of  the  battery  and  obtain  their  views  as  to  the  advis- 
ability of  undertaking  it.  It  was  voted  that  at  future  reunions,  in- 
stead of  a  picnic  dinner  a  regular  one  be  furnished  and  paid  for  at  a 
given  price  per  plate,  any  deficiency  from  inability  of  comrades  to 
attend  or  pay  to  be  met  by  funds  from  the  Association.  The  use  of 
Kimbell  Hall  for  next  year's  meeting  was  offered  and  accepted  with 
thanks. 

A  communication  from  the  National  Military  Park  Commis- 
sion of  Vicksburg  was  received,  asking  for  information  which 
would  enable  it  to  locate  the  positions  of  our  battery  during  the  siege 
of  that  place,  that  they  could  be  designated  by  appropriate  markers 
on  the  spots,  and  also  be  shown  upon  the  map  to  be  made  for  that 
purpose.  It  was  referred  to  the  directors  of  the  Association  with 
a  committee  of  Comrades  Enoch  Colby,  John  D.  Dyer  and  Geo.  M. 
Brown,  with  instructions  to  get  all  the  data  obtainable  and  forward 
same  to  the  commission.  Notice  was  read  of  the  death  of  Comrade 


—323— 

C.  C.  Nelson,  who  died  at  his  home  near  Washington,  D.  C,  January 
31,  1901.    The  sketch  of  his  life  was  read  from  the  History. 

The  secretary  reported  the  number  of  Histories  on  hand  August 
25,  1900,  84  copies;  Histories  delivered  and  sold  in  past  year,  12; 
total,  72. 

The  election  of  officers  for  ensuing  year  was  then  held,  with  the 
following  result : 

1901-2  directors  elected  were  W.  L.  Southworth,  J.  D.  Dyer,  A. 
W.  Gray,  C.  B.  Kimbell  and  E.  H.  Rexford.  These  elected  officers  as 
follows  :  President,  W.  L.  Southworth  ;  Vice-President,  J.  D.  Dyer ; 
Treasurer,  A.  W.  Gray ;  Secretary,  C.  B.  Kimbell ;  Musical  Director, 
E.  H.  Rexford;  Assistant  Musical  Director,  Mrs.  Laura  R.  Petti- 
john. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned  for  one  year,  subject  to  call  by  the 
officers. 

C.  B.  KIMBELL,  Secy." 

The  Treasurer's  report  was  read,  showing  a  balance  of  $40.77  on 
hand  and  all  bills  and  indebtedness  paid.  Approved  and  ordered  on 
file. 

The  Secretary  then  read  the  following  report  of  the  Executive 
Committee,  which  was  acted  upon  in  same  manner. 

REPORT  OF  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE,  SEPT.  6,  1902. 

The  business  of  our  Association  for  the  past  year  has  been  some- 
what limited,'  the  only  special  meeting  being  held  to  arrange  for  this 
reunion.  The  matter  of  locating  the  positions  of  the  battery  during 
the  Siege  of  Vicksburg,  for  use  of  the  National  Military  Park  Com- 
mission, which  was  referred  at  the  last  meeting  to  the  directors  and  a 
committee  consisting  of  Comrades  Colby,  Dyer  and  Geo.  M.  Brown, 
was  attended  to,  and  sketches  and  explanations,  as  far  as  obtainable, 
were  forwarded  to  the  Commission,  and  their  receipt  was  acknowl- 
edged with  thanks.  One  name  has  been  added  to  our  roster,  that  of 
A.  C.  Bristow,  an  usher  at  the  Joliet  Penitentiary,  who  was  detailed 
to  the  battery  from  the  I27th  Illinois  July  23,  1864,  serving  till 
January  18,  1865.  Death  has  invaded  our  ranks  since  our  last  meet- 
ing and  claimed  four  of  our  members.  Edward  Baggot  died  in  this 
city  January  23d  last.  Arthur  M.  Kinzie  died  at  Riverside  May  loth. 
Chas.  C.  Briggs  died  at  Pittsburg  this  Spring,  and  Chas.  W.  Poole 
in  this  city,  July  13,  1902.  These  leave  us  a  net  loss  on  our  list  of 
three  during  the  year.  Little  was  accomplished  by  the  Secretary  in 
regard  to  a  second  volume  of  our  History,  owing  to  an  absence  of 
three  months  from  the  country,  limited  time  and  strength,  and  the 
slight  encouragement  received  from  the  few  members  consulted. 
All  were  willing  it  should  be  done,  but  few  were  able  to  or  could 
promise  any  material  help  in  any  direction,  so  the  matter  is  open 
for  your  further  action.  In  the  report  of  our  last  meeting  there  were 
seventy-two  copies  of  our  History  on  hand,  eight  of  which  have  been 
disposed  of,  leaving  sixty-four  copies,  which  at  cost  price  would 
amount  to  $160.  Respectfully  submitted. 

C.  B.  KIMBELL,  Secy. 


—324— 

Letters  and  cards  of  regret,  all  conveying  expressions  of  good 
wishes  and  fraternal  feelings,  were  received  from  comrades  who 
were  unable  to  be  present,  were  read  from  A.  L.  &  Geo.  E.  Adams 
(the  latter  in  Europe);  MacSlosser,  Chicago;  John  Harder,  Chi- 
cago (with  remittance);  W.  H.  Young,  Chicago;  Albert  Dixson, 
Rochester,  N.  Y. ;  A.  C.  Hall,  Des  Moines,  la. ;  Mrs.  H.  W.  Chase 
(widow),  Chicago;  W.  D.  Logan,  Poland,  Ohio,  announcing  death 
of  his  sister,  Mrs.  John  M.  Clark  (widow),  May  19,  1901;  H.  H. 
Pond,  Chicago;  Chas.  R.  Poole  (son),  Chicago;  Al.  W.  Pendleton, 
Chicago ;  Jas.  H.  Shrigley,  Traverse  City,  Mich. ;  John  B.  Day, 
Bedford,  N.  Y. ;  S.  C.  Stiger,  Asbury,  N.  J. ;  Win.  Furness,  Ogdens- 
burg,  N.  Y. ;  Henry  A.  Spaulding,  Lowell,  Mass. ;  J.  N.  Sherman, 
Soldiers'  Home,  Quincy,  111. ;  B.  Burdick,  Waterloo,  Kan. ;  Wm.  H, 
Cowlin,  Woodstock,  111.;  Mrs.  Thos.  Wilcox  (widow),  Remington, 
Ind. ;  Col.  J.  H..  Page,  3d  U.  S.  Infty.,  Ft.  Thomas,  Ky. ;  John  P. 
Brown,  Florin,  Cal. ;  Morris  A.  Chittenden,  Atchison,  Kan. ;  Fred  A. 
Emory,  Magnolia,  Va. ;  Mrs.  E.  D.  Clark  (widow),  Chicago,  notice 
returned;  Mrs.  Harry  Morgan  (widow),  notice  returned;  E.  P.  Fish. 
Pueblo,  Col. ;  M.  A.  Bartleson,  Nogales,  Ariz. ;  Harrison  Kelley, 
Chicago ;  J.  S.  Anderson,  Waterloo,  la. ;  Jno.  T.  Council,  Carthage. 
N.  Y. ;  J.  M.  Dusenberry,  San  Francisco,  Cal.  (returned  uncalled 
for)  ;  H.  H.  Handy,  Chicago  (remittance)  ;  E.  D.  Howland,  New 
York  City ;  Harrison  Roberts,  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y. ;  Henry  Burdick, 
Woodstock,  111.;  L.  M.  Farnham  (sister  of  Dan'l  R.),  Chicago,  and 
O.  C.  Foster,  Chicago.  Those  sending  acceptances  intending  to  at- 
tend and  being  unavoidably  absent  were  J.  Henry  Long  (remit- 
tance), Chicago;  L.  B.  Mitchell,  Chicago;  Cornelius  Kendall. 
Toledo,  O. ;  Geo.  B.  Burns,  Austin,  111. ;  W.  R.  Page,  Chicago,  and 
Mrs.  Sam'l  W.  Butterfield  (widow),  Chicago.  Notices  sent  of  this 
reunion,  114;  acceptances  (eight  failing  to  attend),  26;  regrets  re- 
ceived, 37 ;  returned  uncalled  for,  3  ;  no  responses  from,  48 — 1 14. 

It  was  voted  to  create  the  office  of  Assistant  Secretary.  A  com- 
mittee consisting  of  Comrades  S.  S.  Kimbell,  Dr.  A.  W.  Gray  and 
C.  B.  Kimbell  was  appointed,  with  power  to  act,  to  place  our  monu- 
ment in  good  condition  and  have  it  treated  to  a  process  to  arrest  the 
decay  which  is  showing  in  some  places,  and  recut  any  names  which 
may  require  it.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  given  to  Comrade  W.  E.  Stock- 
ton for  the  pains  he  has  taken  each  Decoration  day  in  having  our 
battery  monument  nicely  decorated.  The  ladies  of  the  Kimbell  fam- 
ilies were  also  voted  the  thanks  of  the  meeting  for  the  excellent  dinner 
furnished  for  the  occasion,  which  was  disposed  of  with  the  appetite  of 
true  soldiers  and  highly  complimented  by  all.  The  comrades  formed 
in  .a  semi-circle  in  front  of  the  platform  and  the  "Loving  Cup." 
which  was  presented  to  Comrade  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary,  at  a 
former  reunion,  was  filled  with  clear  army  coffee  and  passed  by  him, 
all  comrades  drinking  in  turn.  The  entertainment  exercises  which 
followed  were  thoroughly  enjoyed  by  all  and  consisted  of  singing 
of  old  army  and  patriotic  songs,  with  piano  accompaniment  by  Mrs. 
Sarah  Kimbell  Webster  and  Miss  Mabel  Kimbell,  with  "Rex"  and 
his  indispensable  old  war  bugle.  Mrs.  Rexford  was  a  great  help  as 


—325— 

leader  in  singing.  A  patriotic  recitation  by  Miss  Virginia  T.  Kimbell, 
granddaughter  of  the  Secretary,  and  a  humorous  one  by  Elizabeth 
M.  Kimbell,  daughter  of  our  deceased  Comrade  J.  W.  Kimbell,  were 
very -creditably  rendered.  Col.  W.  B.  Keeler,  of  the  35th  Iowa,  an 
old  friend,  was  a  visitor,  and  treated  the  boys  to  '"The  Old  Canteen" 
and  several  other  recitations,  which  were  enthusiastically  encored. 
Comrade  Colby  read  an  interesting  relic  of  the  war,  a  general  order 
issued  by  Gen.  Sherman  after  the  fall  of  Vicksburg  in  1863.  It 
recalled  vividly  the  events  of  those  trying  times  and  the  voice  of 
the  reader  was  frequently  tremulous  with  emotion,  and  many  of  the 
.comrades'  eyes  moistened  in  listening  to  some  of  the  stirring  words. 
Comments  were  made  by  Comrade  Benson. 

After  the  singing  of  "Old  John  Brown"  Mrs.  Henrietta  Harris, 
wife  of  Comrade  Abraham  Harris,  of  the  Mercantile  Battery,  who 
was  also  present,  gave  a  short  and  interesting  reminiscence  of 
thoughts  suggested  whenever  she  heard  that  song.  An  old  schoolmate 
and  friend  was  a  member  of  John  Brown's  party  in  his  raid  on 
Harper's  Ferry,  where  he  was  executed  and  buried.  His  name  was 
Edward  Coppick.  His  body  was  secretly  taken  up  in  the  night  by 
friends  and  brought  back  to  his  old  home  in  Salem,  Ohio,  and  buried, 
Mrs.  Harris'  father,  a  member  of  the  Underground  Railway,  being 
one  of  the  party  assisting  in  doing  it.  The  song  naturally  awakens 
tender  memories  to  her  mind  and  she  could  not  refrain  from  speaking 
of  it.  A  copy  of  the  Battery  History  was  procured  by  Comrade  W.  E. 
Stockton  for  his  grandson,  Stockton  Russell,  and  at  his  request  all 
the  comrades  present  inscribed  their  names  on  the  fly  leaf  as  "a 
memento,  which  the  youth  will  probably  prize  very  highly.  The 
Secretary  read  from  the  History  the  sketches  of  the  lives  of  the 
four  comrades  who  passed  away  during  the  past  year.  Feeling 
eulogies  were  spoken,  by  Comrades  A.  W.  Gray,  C.  B.  Kimbell  and 
others  for  the  deceased  members,  Comrades  Baggot,  Kinzie,  Poole 
and  Briggs. 

Election  for  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  then  followed  and  re- 
sulted in  the  choosing  of  John  D.  Dyer,  Fred  B.  Leavitt,  C.  B. 
Kimbell,  A.  W.  Gray  and  E.  H.  Rexford  as  directors.  These  met 
and  elected  John  D.  Dyer,  President ;  Fred  B.  Leavitt,  Vice- Presi- 
dent ;  C.  B.  Kimbell,  Secretary ;  Ed.  D.  Howland,  .Assistant  Secre- 
tary ;  Dr.  A.  W.  Gray,  Treasurer ;  E.  H.  Rexford,  Musical  Director ; 
Mrs.  Laura  Rexford  Pettijohn,  Assistant  Musical  Director.  All 
joined  in  singing  "Auld  Lang  Syne"  and  closed  by  singing 
"America,"  after  which  it  was  voted  to  meet  next  year  at  about  same 
time  and  place,  and  the  meeting  adjourned. 

C.  B.  KIMBELL,  Secy. 
To  the  Members  of  Battery  "A"  C.  L.  A.  Veteran  Association: 

DEAR  COMRADES — This  pamphlet  is  issued  and  sent  out  to  you 
with  the  hope  that  its  perusal  will  tend  to  keep  up  the  interest  of  the 
members  who  have  so  faithfully  stood  by  our  organization  since  it 
was  formed  and  to  stimulate  the  interest  of  those  who  have  failed 
to  give  it  the  countenance  which  so  many  think  it  deserves.  Those 
who  have  kept  in  touch  with  our  Association  can  testify  to  the  great 


—236— 

pleasure  and  enjoyment  derived  from  attendance  at  our  reunions, 
and  the  comfort  and  consolation  of  the  presence  of  comrades  in  times 
of  bereavement,  and  those  who  attend  our  reunions  feel  and  ex- 
perience the  incompleteness  of  the  enjoyment  and  pleasure  when  we 
realize  that  many  of  our  comrades  are  not  with  us,  and  some  do  not 
even  evince  sufficient  interest  to  respond  to  notices  sent,  with  regrets. 
I  esteem  it  one  of  the  highest  honors  of  my  life  that  I  belonged  to 
such  a  gallant  command  in  the  army  and  to  have  served  with  such 
brave  and  patriotic  comrades  that  composed  it.  Only  a  few,  com- 
paratively, remain  to  give  each  other  the  hearty  handshake  of  com- 
radeship. As  the  years  roll  by  still  fewer  of  our  comrades  will  as- 
semble at  our  annual  reunions.  The  soldierly  love  and  fraternity  of 
comradeship  which  binds  us  together  can  not  be  found  in  any  other 
organization.  If  any  further  perpetuation  of  our  History  is  ever 
produced  it  must  be  by  the  hearty  co-operation  of  our  members.  The 
feeble  efforts  of  a  few  will  not  be  sufficient  to  warrant  it.  The  office 
of  Assistant  Secretary  was  created  at  this  reunion  to  lighten  the  task 
of  the  Secretary,  and  our  most  worthy  comrade,  E.  D.  Rowland. 
Xo.  7  E.  Forty-second  street.  New  York,  was  unanimously  elected 
to  the  position.  Any  communications  addressed  to  him  or  to  me 
will  receive  careful  and  prompt  attention.  I  will  close  by  quoting 
the  words  so  fittingly  expressed  by  some  poet : 
"Comrades!  you  who  in  the  battle 

Stood  together  firm  and  true, 
At  the  shrine  of  each  reunion, 

Dedicate  your  lives  anew. 

"You  are  like  the  trees  left  standing 

When  the  fierce  tornado's  past ; 
Let  the  boughs  of  those  remaining 
Twine  together  firm  and  fast. 

"Grand  old  army  !    Brave  old  comrades  ! 

Grim  survivors  of  the  fight. 
Warm  your  hearts  at  memory's  altar, 
Press  each  other's  hand  till  night. 

"And  when  sounds  the  last  assembly. 

When  the  guard  has  gone  his- round, 
We  shall  pitch  our  tents  together, 
On  some  happier  camping  ground." 
Fraternally, 

C.  B.  KIM  BELL,  Secy. 


This  pamphlet  will  fit  in  back  part  of  the  History. 
Please  acknowledge  receipt. 


CHICAGO,  June  20th,  1899. 

To  THE  MEMBERS  AND  FRIENDS  OF  BATTERY  "A," 
VETERAN  ASSOCIATION  : 

1  desire  to  make  the  following  statement  for  the  information  of 
the  members  and  friends  of  the  Association  who  may  require  extra 
copies  of  our  History. 

When  the  Association  decided  to  publish  a  history,  the  first  work 
was  to  ascertain  the  cost  of  doing  so.  This  was  done  by  obtaining 
figures  from  three  reliable  publishing  concerns  on  the  basis  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  books  of  two  hundred  pages  9  x  6,  to  include  fifty 
half-tone  cuts  of  members.  This  size  book  was  as  large  as  we 
thought  safe  in  undertaking,  and  the  best  figures  we  obtained  was 
$400.00  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  books,  which  was  $1.60  each- 
This  was  given  on  a  sliding  scale,  however,  to  be  increased  or  dimin- 
ished in  proportion  as  circumstances  might  require.  Circulars  and 
blanks  were  sent  to  all  our  members  and  friends  whose  addresses 
were  known,  and  such  general  interest  was  taken  and  responses  so 
numerously  returned,  that  instead  of  a  book  of  two  hundred  pages 
and  fifty  half-tone  cuts,  we  have  one  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
pages  and  ninety- three  half-tone  cuts ;  five  large  cuts  of  views  of 
camp  and  battery  scenes,  three  reunion  groups  and  three  pages  of 
Fred  S.  Church's  illustrations  ;  heavier  and  enameled  paper  than  was 
specified  in  the  contract  was  used,  and  various  other  items  for  the 
betterment  of  the  book  were  incorporated,  which,  with  the  increased 
size,  brought  the  cost  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  books  to  $3.23 
each.  Any  one  familiar  with  such  work  knows  that  the  expense  per 
copy  on  a  limited  edition,  is  much  greater  in  proportion  than  for  a 
large  one,  and  the  committee  did  not  feel  warranted  in  going  into 
any  publishing  venture,  and  only  provided  for  what  they  felt  would 
be  a  reasonable  demand  for  extra  copies.  The  Secretary,  however, 
on  his  own  account,  contracted  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  additional 
copies,  which  reduced  the  cost  of  the  whole  number  to  $2.50  each. 

Any  one  desiring  extra  copies  can  procure  them  from  the  Secre- 
tary at  Room  302  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Chicago,  or  of 
J.  Henry  Long,  Treasurer,  1425  Old  Colony  Building. 

Any  book  sent  by  mail  will  require  16  cts.  postage.  1  will  be 
jn  my  office  Tuesdays  and  Fridays  from  11  to  12  o'clock,  and  will 
be  pleased  to  have  city  members  call  for  the  copy  of  the  book  they 
are  entitled  to. 

C.  B.   KIMBELL,  Secretary. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


HISTORY  OF  BATTERY  A,  FIRST  ILLINOIS  LIG 


